Adventure Nights at Freddy's
by ActionGal07
Summary: You're all familiar with the ghost stories behind Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Five children went missing and are presumed dead. A young feisty girl name Katrina Marlowe learns about the tragedies and mysteries behind the restaurant and ends up befriending the animatronics whose true identities come as a surprise. R&R! (Completed)
1. Tragic Prolong

**This is my very first FNAF story that I've wanted to do for a while. The story will often contain my theories and opinions about the FNAF lore. Also I want to strongly stress to readers that I don't want to receive any angry reviews or flames just because my theories are different from yours. While I would love to hear your theories and opinions, what I don't need is mean criticism. If the story isn't to your liking, kindly find some other story to read. I appreciate your understanding and respect, so without further ado, read the first chapter and tell me what you think! I promise the plot will prove to be an interesting one! Thank you!**

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June 26, Friday

School was out and summer had just begun. Around this time of year, a lot of kids were already going to fun places like the beach, amusement parks, or to family campgrounds for vacations. But the one popular place that many neighborhood kids liked to hang out at was none other than Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. This restaurant was well-known for its famously delicious pizza and arcades. But most of all, their main attraction was restaurant mascot, Freddy Fazbear; a jolly big-hearted bear animatronic who sang and entertained children day in and day out. Freddy Fazbear was such a beloved character that many kids traveled from miles away just to meet the lovable animatronic.

Along with his fellow band-mates, Bonnie the Bunny and Chica the Chicken, the three animatronics performed every day to make children laugh. Then there was the adventurous swash-buckling animatronic, Foxy the Pirate Fox who presided over at Pirate Cove. Sadly, due to unfortunate circumstances, Foxy no longer performed for children and has since then been labeled "Out of Order." Freddy Fazbear's Pizza had become so successful, that it eventually became the perfect place to celebrate birthdays and holidays. However behind this restaurant's family-friendly image, the pizzeria had a dark side to it. And this is where our story begins…

Today was a regular day like any other. Families arrived with their children where they could enjoy the food, play games, and watch the Fazbear show. Twelve year old Bernard Walcott entered the restaurant with his three friends in tow. A well-behaved and mature young boy with medium-brown hair and soft blue eyes, he took a seat at the table nearest the Show Stage and ordered himself some pizza for lunch. Bernard was known for being serious and bossy, but was also polite and kind. While waving to some familiar kids he knew from school, Bernard reached out a hand to stop a little kid from zooming by him.

"Whoa there! No running. It's one of the rules here," he pointed out.

"Stop bossing me around, Bernard! I've got to get to the arcades if I want to win more prizes!" The little kid impatiently hurried off at once.

That was when Bernard looked up and saw that the Fazbear show was about to start. All the kids eagerly gathered around the Show Stage in anticipation as the lights dimmed, the curtains drew apart and a spotlight shined down on the star of the show, Freddy Fazbear himself; an animatronic with the appearance of a brown bear, wearing a fancy black top-hat and a matching black bowtie. Freddy Fazbear seem to come to life as he raised his big hand in greeting, while beaming at all his little fans that cheered and clapped at the sight of him. The animatronic bear stood tall and proud on the stage, and spoke in a jolly booming voice to his audience.

"Hey there kids! Welcome to another exciting show! And I, Freddy Fazbear, will be your host! Looks like this is promising to be a swell party! But no party is complete without my friends here! Come on out guys!" Freddy announced while letting out an infectious belly laugh that echoed throughout the restaurant.

A bright light lit up the stage, and Bonnie the Bunny and Chica the Chicken made their respective appearance. Bonnie was a lavender purple-colored animatronic with a ruby-red bowtie attached to its neck. He was never seen without his trademark red guitar that he played for the band. Then there was Chica, the only girl in the Fazbear Band. A bright yellow avian animatronic who worn a big bib with the words "Let's Eat" written very large on it. Chica was always seen holding a plate with her favorite little treat, Pom-Pom the Cupcake. The kids grew increasingly excited as all three animatronics made their grand entrance.

"Hi there all you rocker-fans! I'm ready to bring this party to life with an awesome tune!" Bonnie said cheerfully. He was seen as the most friendly and outgoing of the animatronics. Both boys and girls absolutely adored Bonnie's happy-go-lucky attitude.

"Hello there. I'm Chica. Are you kids enjoying those delicious pizzas? Be sure to finish every bite so that I can treat you all to some tasty snacks later. But only if you behave yourselves!" Chica said while winking cutely. Chica was popular with all the girls, and her nurturing personality had won her many fans.

"Tasty snacks? I'd love some! So when do we eat?" Bonnie asked, spinning his head around so that he could gaze over at Chica on the stage.

"Bonnie! You can't think of food now! We've got a show to perform!" Chica playfully scolds Bonnie while earning some chuckles from the kids.

"Well without further ado, let's get this show started! Give me a tune, Bonnie!" Freddy's powerful voice boomed out. He wasn't the mascot for no reason. The animatronic bear possessed an amazing charismatic charm that captured the hearts of children everywhere. Even grown-ups had come to respect Freddy Fazbear.

The kids watched in awe as Bonnie's hands began to move in a surprisingly skillful manner for an animatronic as he began to play his guitar which immediately began to produce melodious tunes. And when the music was just right, Freddy Fazbear raised the mike to his mouth and began to sing. Bernard smiled to himself; he loved to stop whatever he was doing just to listen to Freddy sing. And boy was the animatronic bear a great singer! Freddy Fazbear was Bernard's personal favorite character here. The bear was like a strong leader who watched over all those who came into the restaurant.

After the show was over, it was around this time that the animatronics were put into free-roaming mode, which enabled them the freedom to play and interact with the children. As always, girls loved to gather around Chica who held a large plate filled with different flavored cupcakes. Among the group was spunky Ava Ramsey, a lovely blond tomboy who was Chica's biggest fan. Ava loved it here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. And because of her sweet and gentle personality, many boys had a crush on her. Ava happily walked away with her own plate of cupcakes, and stopped to offer one to Bernard.

"Here you go, Bernard! Picked this one out especially for you." Ava happily offered the chocolate-cupcake to the older boy.

Standing not too far away in the crowd, Peter Donahue looked up from his favorite comic book and gazed starry-eyed over at Ava Ramsey. Book-smart and resourceful, Peter was known as the energetic geek of the gang. He always had his nose stuck in a book and loved to learn new things. The animatronics here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza fascinated him and he wanted to know how they worked. But also, Peter liked coming to the restaurant so that he could be close to his childhood crush, Ava.

Peter watched Ava from a distance and sighed sadly to himself. He had harbored feelings for Ava Ramsey ever since kindergarten. But he's never had the courage to approach her with his feelings. What was even more discouraging was seeing other cuter boys lavishing their attention on Ava and giving her gifts. There was a lot of competition for her affections and Peter wondered how he could compete with all the other rivals. So instead he stood there feeling down.

Then the animatronic Bonnie approached Peter and seemed to sense the little boy's melancholy. "Hello there, lil' buddy! Why the long face? Don't you want to play? Here, try your hand at playing my guitar!" Like a gentle giant, Bonnie bent down to share its red guitar. With a little smile, Peter reached out and stringed the musical instrument with his finger. "Way to go! Rock on, lil' buddy!" Bonnie cheered.

Peter watched as Bonnie walked off to go greet some new kids who have come into the pizzeria. Peter really liked Bonnie but he envied the animatronic as well. He wished he could be like Bonnie who was cool, confident and hip. Maybe that way he could get Ava to finally notice him. At that exact moment, Peter saw his best friend, Todd Foxworth in the crowd. As usual, Todd loved wearing his eye-patch and he carried the wooden pirate sword his father had carved for him. Todd had his arms crossed over his chest with a grumpy expression while being escorted out of the Pirate Cove by a security guard.

"I'm sorry little boy. I can't have you messing around with the Foxy animatronic. He's out of order," the security guard was telling the little red-headed boy.

"Hmmph. It's not fair. I was only going back there to visit Foxy. He's the coolest character here. I really want to see his show!" Todd whined.

Now Peter approached his friend while shaking his head and tsk-tsking. "You got caught again? That's twice in a row. What were you doing back there anyway?" Peter asked.

"I wanted to see if Foxy was still operational. And get this, Foxy still works!" Todd explained. "I've even managed to turn him on and he talks like a pirate!" Then Todd grins mischievously. "That security guard is distracted. Let's sneak back there and I can show you."

"Really? Cool!" Peter agreed excitedly.

But just as the two boys started to head for Pirate Cove, Bernard stepped in their way with hands on his hips. "Where do you two think you're going? I believe the security guard told you to stay out of Pirate Cove?" Bernard lectures them sternly. "It's bad enough that you get into trouble all the time, Todd, but you shouldn't drag poor Peter into it."

"Alright already! Quit telling us what to do, Bernard," Todd said, flashing the bossy boy an irritable frown. "We'll go to Pirate Cove later. Come on Peter; let's go hit the arcade games!"

Peter shrugged his shoulders apologetically to Bernard before turning to follow his best friend off to the arcades. Once the two boys left, Bernard returned to the Dining Area. Sitting down at the table, he began eating the rest of his pizza. While watching Freddy Fazbear interact with little children, Bernard saw something odd at the next table over. A lonely-looking boy was sitting around, wearing a birthday hat, his face resting sadly in the palm of his hands. The little boy appeared to be alone. Feeling concerned, Bernard got up from the table and went to over to the boy. The little boy didn't look up when Bernard approached him. But one look at him, and Bernard knew the poor boy was sad.

"Hi. Are you here alone?" Bernard asked with a friendly smile. The little boy didn't answer. "Where are your parents? Aren't they here with you?" Again the golden-blond boy didn't respond. Looking closely, Bernard noticed a birthday card nearby that had a name written on it in bold letters. "Jake Goldman."

"So your name is Jake, huh? My name is Bernard. Is it your birthday today?" This time the boy named Jake nodded his head. "Well happy birthday! How old are you turning today?" Without a word, Jake held up six fingers. "Wow. So where are your parents and friends? Are you having a party here?"

But Bernard noticed that Jake was avoiding his eye. Instead he looked embarrassed and ashamed about something. And that was when Bernard realized it. "You mean there's no one here to celebrate your birthday? You're here by yourself? I don't believe it."

The poor boy looked close to tears, and that was when Bernard knew he had to do something about this. With that, he reached down and gently took Jake's hand. "Come with me, Jake. I'll go round up my friends. We'll help you celebrate your birthday." With that, Jake willingly went with Bernard. For some reason, the older boy's take charge attitude was comforting to Jake.

In the restaurant, the Prize Corner was the place where children came to trade in their tickets for toys, candy and other big prizes. It was also where "The Puppet" resided. The Puppet lived inside its big music box, where it liked to pop out and surprise kids with little gift boxes. The Puppet was something of a mystery. No one knew for sure where it came from or how it came to be a part of the pizzeria. The kids loved the puppet anyway and always lined up at its box just to visit it. They also got to listen to the popular tune of "My Grandfather's Clock."

Ava winded up the music box and waited patiently until the puppet popped out with a gift in hand and a wide smile. Accepting the little gift, Ava then reached out and lifted the Puppet out of its box by its strings. "Hey guys, want to see something really funny?" Ava said to her friends. There she began to move the strings and made the Puppet start dancing.

The other kids started laughing and it wasn't long before they too wanted to play with the Puppet next. Until a security guard came along and took the Puppet away. "Sorry, little girl. But I'm afraid the puppet has to stay inside the music box." There he puts the Puppet back into its box.

There were a lot of disappointed groans about this. "Ahhh… The Puppet is always stuck inside that music box. I thought it could use a little exercise," Ava said sympathetically. Little did she know, the Puppet's keen eyes were closely watching Ava.

Kids lined up at the music box and patiently waited to receive their gift from the Puppet. Until one kid cut in front of another and took the gift from the Puppet first. Soon the two kids were angrily fighting over the gift box. "That was my gift! You butted in line!" "No, I was here first! This gift is mine!" "The Puppet was handing it to me! Now give it!"

That was when Bernard arrived and came in between the two fighting children and pulled them apart. "Knock it off you two! You give that gift to him right now!" Bernard commanded. The kid grudgingly handed over the gift to his companion. "Here, you can have my gift. Next time, please don't cut in line like that."

Now Bernard watched as both kids walked off in satisfaction. "I'll bet you get that all the time," Bernard said conversationally to the Puppet in the music box. "It's not easy looking after the little ones, but someone's gotta do it, right?" The Puppet's eyes secretly watched Bernard's every move.

Every now and then, there were bullies at the restaurant. A bunch of mean guys thought it was funny to forcefully open the music box and steal the gift the Puppet held. With a nasty laugh, one of them grabbed the Puppet by the neck and pretended to choke it. Todd saw them do this and angrily went over to defend the Puppet from them.

"Hey! Leave the Puppet alone! And give back the gift you took! That's stealing!" Todd demanded.

But the mean bullies only laughed jeeringly at Todd. "We're only having a little fun with the dummy. And what's with the pirate get-up? Don't you know that pirates are so lame? Maybe that's why they shut down the pirate animatronic name Wolfy or whatever."

There Todd took his wooden pirate sword and angrily used it to whack the bully's hand, forcing him to release the Puppet. Now he pointed his sword at the whole lot of them. "His name is Foxy the Pirate Fox! He's a tough-as-nails pirate who doesn't let anyone push him around! Hand over the gift!"

Todd managed to successfully chase the bullies away while they shot him resentful glares and tossed the gift box aside. Picking up the little gift box, Todd placed it back into the Puppet's hand. "There we are. No thanks necessary, lil' Puppet. Be sure to give that gift to someone who is sad, ok?" The Puppet stared smilingly back into Todd's green eyes.

Meanwhile in the boy's bathroom, Peter stood in front of the mirror and was trying to fix his appearance. He straightened his red bow-tie; fixed his rim-wired glasses, tried running a comb through his messy locks of hair, and held up a flower in his left hand. Today was the big day. He was going to march right up to Ava and tell her exactly how he felt. It was time for some courage. But he still wanted to stand out from all the other boys. He decided to get Ava a gift that would surely impress her.

Peter hurried off to the Prize Corner to see if he could get something that Ava would surely like. Not the small toys, they wouldn't be enough. And he didn't have enough tickets for the bigger prizes on the shelves. He checked everywhere, but couldn't find anything good enough. Or maybe he wasn't good enough. Just when Peter started to become discouraged again, that was when he heard the sudden tune of "Pop goes the Weasel music."

Turning around to look, Peter saw the Puppet had come out of its music box and seemed to be holding out a gift box for him. How strange…was this normal behavior for a puppet? Peter had always been fascinated by the Puppet and didn't believe it to be an animatronic like the others. Now he stepped up to the music box and adjusted his glasses while studying the Puppet like it was some kind of interesting specimen. There the Puppet held out the gift to him. Out of curiosity, Peter accepted this unexpected gift and opened it up to see what was inside. To his surprise, it was a Chica doll.

Of course! This was the perfect gift! Chica was Ava's favorite character; she would love something like this. Peter looked up at the Puppet in amazement. "Wow! This is exactly what I need! Smart thinking, Puppet! Thanks a lot!" Peter said gratefully.

Later, Jake was wandering around the restaurant, looking for Bernard whom he lost in the crowd earlier. As usual, nobody paid much attention to the shy and quiet little boy. While walking around, he ended up at the Prize Corner. A quick look around told him that Bernard wasn't here, but he could hear the tuneful music box playing in the background. Without warning, the music box opened and out popped the Puppet with a gift in hand and a ready smile. Instead on being amused, Jake was afraid and backed away at once. The Puppet noticed the little boy was wearing a birthday hat, and then it reached down inside the music box and pulled out a beautifully wrapped birthday present. Now the Puppet held out the birthday gift and tried to coax the little shy boy into coming closer.

Jake eyed the big gift and admittedly felt tempted. With careful steps, he began to approach the Puppet. Once he got close enough, he quickly reached out and snatched the birthday present and jumped back at once. He frowned defiantly at the Puppet as if daring it to try to scare him. But the Puppet only looked proud of having accomplished its task. He looked down at his birthday gift and no longer felt uneasy. Now Jake and the Puppet stared at one another and seemed to come to a silent understanding.

Just then, Bernard came along and finally found Jake. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you. We're all ready to celebrate your birthday now. Come with me." Jake started to follow Bernard. When he turned to look back, the Puppet was waving good-bye to him.

Now all five kids had gotten together. Bernard introduced Jake Goldman to the others. Ava smiled kindly to the little boy; Peter studied him curiously, while Todd merely looked bored. There they began to make their way back to the Dining Area with Bernard in the lead. "So what flavor birthday cake do you want?" Bernard was saying to Jake. "We'll order a cake and then we can all sing happy birthday. How does that sound?"

It happened without warning. Stepping out from the shadows itself, a golden-colored animatronic suddenly appeared to the children. It came out of nowhere that the five children stopped and stared up at it in surprise. This was an odd-looking animatronic that beared a resemblance to Bonnie, only it couldn't be. What was this strange animatronic and where did it come from? The mysterious figure seemed to grin down at them all and stood blocking their way.

"Hello there, kids." It spoke in an eerily cartoony voice. "What are you doing here by yourselves? Wouldn't you all rather go to really fun party instead?"

"No thank you. We're in a bit of a hurry," Bernard said dismissively. Something wasn't right about this golden-animatronic. Immediately Bernard sensed red flags at once.

"Say now, just who exactly are you suppose to be?" Peter asked. "I've never seen you around the restaurant before. Are you apart of the Fazbear Gang?"

"Let's just say I'm an old friend of Freddy's." Then the creepy animatronic's eyes lit up. "As a matter of fact, I'm on my way to a grand party. Only the biggest fans of the Fazbear Gang are invited. Why not come along and meet your favorite characters there? They'll even give you their autographs."

"Oh wow! You mean I can get Chica's autograph? The other girls would be so jealous if they saw I had a signed autograph! I really would like one!" Ava said excitedly.

"What about Foxy?" Todd asked eagerly. "Will Foxy be there too? I've wanted to play pirates with him since forever! I want to meet him!"

"You can meet all the characters you want," the golden-animatronic told them. "All you have to do… is " _follow me_." With that, the big golden-animatronic turned and started walking down the hallway, leading them away from the Dining Area that was filled with people.

Peter, Ava and Todd went to follow the golden-animatronic through the restaurant. Only Bernard and Jake weren't so sure. Something wasn't right here. Bernard was especially suspicious. There was something weird about that golden-animatronic. He's never seen that one around here before. There was no way he was going to let his friends go anywhere with that thing. Before he knew it, Bernard hurried after his friends and desperately tried to talk them out of it.

"Wait up, Todd! Don't go anywhere with this guy. We really should be heading back to the Dining Area," Bernard said, placing his hand on Todd's shoulder in order to get his attention.

"Would you stop ordering me around?" Todd said impatiently. "This is a rare opportunity. I might never get another chance to play with Foxy again. So will you quit worrying?"

Now Bernard turned to Ava and tried to convince her. "Look Ava, I'm sure there are other ways you can get Chica's autograph. You don't have to do this."

"It'll be okay," Ava told Bernard reassuringly. "I'm just going to go get Chica's autograph real quick and then I'll head back to the Dining Area. I promise I won't be long."

Bernard turned helplessly to Peter. "Come on. This isn't smart. We don't know anything about this animatronic. We don't even know where it's going. We need to go back."

"Don't worry. I just want to learn how the animatronics work," Peter said distractedly. Then he gazed over at Ava with puppy-eyes. "I'll help Ava get Chica's autograph and then I can escort her back to the Dining Area. We won't be long, Bernard."

Bernard couldn't stop them and watched worriedly as his friends continued to follow the creepy gold-colored animatronic deeper into the restaurant. He suddenly had a foreboding feeling. Something was going to go wrong. He couldn't allow his friends to go anywhere with that strange animatronic. Now Bernard turned back to Jake who still stood where he was. After doing some quick thinking, Bernard finally made his decision.

"Stay here, Jake. I'll be right back. I'm going to go make sure that nothing bad happens. When we come back, we're going to go celebrate your birthday, ok? Wait here for me."

Jake watched as Bernard went with his friends and also followed the golden-animatronic. The little boy waited and waited. The minutes ticked by, then it was half an hour. The other four kids were taking way too long. Finally Jake got impatient and started to head down the same hallway the others had gone down. He wanted to find the others and see why they haven't come back. Hiding not too far away was the Puppet who watched the golden-haired boy disappear into the shadows. _He's back_ _…_ _He's at it again_ … And this time… the Puppet knew it was too late to help.

On that very fateful day… the five children were never seen again.

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 **I'm proud on how I did this chapter. I wanted to give my readers a chance to get to know the five children and learn about their personalities. I guess I don't have to tell you all who led the children away to their death. Also I made it pretty obvious on whose child spirit will inhabit which animatronic in later chapters. I won't reveal it right away, but readers can put two and two together. When you stop and think about it, this chapter was pretty sad. Those poor five children! I promise I'll get the next chapter up.**


	2. The Hauntings of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza

**If anyone wants to ask me a question or ask for my personal opinion or theory on anything FNAF-related, they're welcome to. I'll try to explain my theories to the best of my ability, but there are some things that even I won't be able to explain. Anyway, thanks for reading so far. Here is my latest chapter. Happy reading!**

Six years later…

It's been many years, and Freddy Fazbear's Pizza has gone through some changes since then. While it was still known to those as a popular pizzeria, there were still those who harshly criticized the place. The once family-friendly restaurant had seen a lot of shocking scandals over the years. There were many troubling stories about the restaurant. Despite the negativity from the public, the pizzeria managed to keep its business a success. Kids still loved to go there on their birthday, play fun games and activities, and meet their childhood hero, Freddy Fazbear.

Our story begins on a sunny spring day, where a blue mini-van was driving through the neighborhood on its way to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Mrs. Heidi Cosgrove, a middle-aged woman with short cropped red hair and a warm smile was taking foster children to the kid-friendly restaurant. It was little Gina Alston's birthday and as promised, she would be celebrating her eighth birthday at the restaurant. She couldn't sit still because she wanted to meet Bonnie the Bunnie, her favorite character.

Sitting at the back of the van was the quietly troubled Katrina Marlowe, who sat buckled in her seat with her head down. Ever since she arrived at the foster home, she hadn't spoken a word to anyone. It seemed that she was still in shock from the accident. The other foster girls whispered the story to each other, about how Katrina had been in a terrible accident. Now the poor girl had become mute and wouldn't even look anyone in the eye. So instead the other girls had chosen to ignore her.

Gina couldn't stop talking about Freddy Fazbear's Pizza and what she wanted to do on her birthday. "I hear they have millions of cake flavors to choose from. And they have great pizza with all the toppings you could want! But what I want more than anything is to meet Bonnie! He's a cool rock-n-roll rabbit!"

However mean and bratty girl Tracy Somerset frowned unhappily. She'd been in foster care the longest and often always came off as unfriendly. "Oh please. You do know those animatronics aren't real. They're a bunch of mindless machines." Now she crossed her arms and looked out the window sourly. "I didn't even want to come to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. I am way too old for childish things like that."

Next to her was Danielle Keegan, the red-head of the group. "It's not so bad. I'm going there for the games! If you get enough tickets, you can get some really nice prizes there. I think someone once told me that there's a puppet that gives you little gifts."

Jackie Garvey sat next to the silent Katrina. She'd been listening to the three girls talk, but had no desire to join their conversation. Instead she'd spent most of the past days hiding herself away from the world. Just two days ago, it had been made official. Her mother had lost custody of her and would be going away for a long time. It had been a relief at first, but it seemed that the scars had already done it's damage. And now Jackie hid one side of her face with her long hair to ensure that no one would ever see her shame.

Every now and then, Jackie couldn't help but look side-ways at the lovely girl sitting next to her. The other girls had taunted Katrina anew when she first arrived, but Jackie couldn't bring herself to join in their heartless bullying. Truth be told, she felt sorry for Katrina. The poor girl once had a normal life and all of that just disappeared in a blink of an eye. Jackie knew exactly how that felt…

Suddenly Tracy was smiling nastily about something. "You guys want to hear something really scary? Did you hear about the incident that happened a year ago? It happened at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Some people call it "Butcher Night."

This caught the two girls' attention at once. "Butcher Night? What's that?" Gina asked.

There Tracy wasted no time in telling them the scary tale. "It only happened a year ago. Five kids snuck into the restaurant late at night. When morning came, they were all discovered dead. Somebody had brutally butchered them all. They never found the killer who did it."

Gina and Danielle were creeped out by the story. Even Jackie found it disturbing. She wondered who could have possibly killed those five kids in such a gruesome way. Katrina continued to stare morosely out the window and it was hard to tell if she was listening or not. She was so quiet that you'd sometimes forget she was even there. Halfway through the ride, Mrs. Cosgrove looked over her shoulder to smile at them all.

"We're almost there, girls. When we get to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, I want you all to be on your best behavior. Follow the restaurant rules," Mrs. Cosgrove informed them.

Gina and Danielle became even more excited by this. Tracy merely crossed her arms and continued to smirk. It seemed that she had one scarier story to tell. "Want to hear about the scariest thing that's ever happened at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza? And this happened long, long ago."

The three girls leaned in to listen, with the exception of Katrina who stared unseeingly out the window. "Long ago, there was an incident called "The Five Missing Children," Tracy began, speaking in her scary voice. "Five kids went to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza like any other day, and then they were never seen again. No matter where they looked, nobody has ever found them."

"Whoa, that's freaky," Danielle said nervously. "They just vanished? Where did they go? Doesn't anyone know what happened to them?"

"No one knows," Tracy said with a shrug. "There have been a lot of theories on what might have happened to them. But the police have never been able to find the five missing children. They've never even found their bodies. To this day, they're all assumed dead."

"What happened to them?" Gina asked. The idea that five kids could go missing all at once like that really frightened her. "Were they kidnapped? Something must have happened to make them disappear. Do you think it could have been a murder too?"

"Who knows," Tracy said. Then she smiled tauntingly at the younger girl. "However, they do say that Freddy Fazbear's Pizza is haunted. The five missing kids are really angry that no one tried to help them. So now they go around making other people "disappear" too. And their bodies are never found again either. Better be careful when you get there!"

"Tracy! Will you stop scaring poor Gina like that?" Mrs. Cosgrove scolded. "What utter nonsense." Then she said gently to Gina. "It's okay, dear. The restaurant is not haunted by ghosts. You hear all kinds of crazy stories about that place, but none of it has ever been proven true."

Gina nodded, but didn't look fully convinced. She didn't like ghosts and hoped there weren't any at the restaurant. Tracy and Danielle decided to change the subject and started talking about something else. Jackie on the other hand found the ghost stories rather intriguing. Although that's not to say she wasn't bothered by the story of the Five Missing Children incident. It's scary enough that one child could go missing, but five kids disappearing at the same time? Downright creepy indeed. Jackie stole another look at Katrina, but the sad-looking girl was still staring out the window. Poor Katrina… would she ever snap out of it?

They finally arrived at their destination. Freddy Fazbear's Pizza had gone through some different designs over the years, but some things remained the same. On a big sign nearby was the smiling face of Freddy Fazbear along with his other animal companions. Mrs. Cosgrove got out of the mini-van along with the five girls, and together they all began to make their way toward the family-friendly restaurant. Entering through the double doors, they came into the lobby where Mrs. Cosgrove approached the counter to pay for their entrance.

"Hello there, party of six," Mrs. Cosgrove informed the receptionist. "Also we're here for the scheduled birthday party for Gina Alston. She'll be turning eight today. I have a coupon here for a special order of pizza that comes with a birthday cake for free."

Once the fees had been paid, Ms. Cosgrove led the five girls through the door and into the Dining Area. They were greeted by the sounds of music, laughing children, and loud noises coming from the arcade. Gina, Danielle and Jackie looked around with excited grins, but only Tracy and Katrina didn't look too thrilled about being here. There was a lot of excitement going on, but best of all was the most popular attraction here, the animatronics themselves.

The animatronics had gone through some upgrades over the years, but they were the same characters. In fact, they were more charming than ever. There stood the proud mascot, Freddy Fazbear, cutie-pie Chica, and the radical Bonnie. Gina insisted on grabbing a table nearest the stage so that she had a good view of her favorite character, Bonnie. Mrs. Cosgrove ordered the drinks and pepperoni pizzas, and Gina got to pick which birthday cake she liked. Tracy sat around looking bored and unimpressed with the place. Katrina quietly took a seat, only to sit there like a zombie. Her depression was very troubling that Mrs. Cosgrove couldn't help but place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Katrina honey, won't you try to have fun? We're all here to celebrate Gina's birthday. Please give it a chance." Mrs. Cosgrove had hoped bringing the traumatized little girl to a fun place would help her. Ever since the accident, Katrina had completely shut down. Maybe she would come around sooner or later.

Katrina however took the hood of her blue hoodie and pulled it over her head, hiding herself from the world. It spoke volumes on how she was feeling. She felt like a ghost, not dead but not really alive either. Then she would reach down and fiddle with the golden heart-shaped locket strapped around her neck. She couldn't stop thinking about her parents. At that moment, her dark thoughts were interrupted by loud cheers and shouts. Katrina looked up and realized that the Fazbear Show was about to start. The animatronics were ready to perform.

"Welcome kids! I'm so glad you're here, because the Fazbear Party is about to start and you're all invited!" Freddy Fazbear's face lit up at the sight of his little fans cheering for him. "Uh-oh! It seems that we're missing some important party members here! We can't have fun without Bonnie and Chica! Wouldn't you agree? Bonnie! Chica!"

The applause grew tremendous as the spotlight lit up the stage and Bonnie and Chica appeared to surprise the children. "How's it going, kids? You didn't think I miss this party now, did ya?" Bonnie waved enthusiastically while posing with his red electric guitar. Gina clapped the hardest at the sight of the adorable purple bunny.

"Hi everybody! My name is Chica! I hope those delicious pizzas are treating you right!" Like always, she held Poffy the Cupcake on her little dish.

"Well now, I think everyone's showed up for the party. I think the bigger question here is, "Are you ready for Freddy?" The kids loudly declared that they were. "Great! I'd sure hate to keep my fans waiting, so let's get started! Help me out, Bonnie!"

The music started to play and everyone watched in amazement as Bonnie's robotic hands and fingers began stringing his red guitar with perfect ease. Kids cheered loudly for Chica who came to life, swinging her yellowy body into an unmistakable dance to the music. But most captivating of all was Freddy Fazbear, who raised the mike to his mouth and sang in a jolly booming voice that sent the kids wild with happiness and laughter. There was something about Freddy Fazbear that brought joy to children everywhere without fail. Katrina however only frowned and found all the loud noise rather annoying. She didn't want to be here. So she ignored the animatronics and their show.

When the animatronics finished their show, Bonnie and Chica walked offstage to play and interact with the children. Gina got her birthday wish and got to meet the lovable rock-star, Bonnie the Bunnie. She even wanted Bonnie to be the one to sing happy birthday to her. Chica went around helping the waiters and waitresses to deliver pizzas, drinks, birthday cakes, and snacks while happily greeting each child fondly. Interestingly Freddy Fazbear stayed put on the Show Stage and never moved. Word went around that the animatronic bear used to come off stage to befriend children, sing for them, personally deliver birthday cake to boys and girls, and even tried encouraging children to talk to him. Nowadays though, Freddy preferred to keep his distance and didn't interact with children as much as he used to anymore.

Jackie and Danielle snuck off together to the Pirate Cove to see what was in there. This room was beautifully designed to look like a tropical beach with the walls painted with palm trees, seashells, pirate ships, and a nicely drawn ocean in the background. Big treasure chests were filled with pirate hats, eye-patches, toy swords, and bandanas meant for children to wear for fun. There were a couple of arcades here as well but they weren't turned on. And finally, at the center of the room was what appeared to be a stage with purple-colored curtains drawn. Other than that, there didn't seem to be anything else of interest around the Pirate Cove.

"Wonder why nobody ever comes back here," Jackie wondered aloud while slowly taking in everything. No doubt this was once a fun place to go. But now it seemed like hardly anyone ever came back here.

"Hey check this out! They've got an animatronic here too!" Danielle suddenly called.

Jackie turned around to see that her friend had pulled the purple curtains open and standing there before them was a crimson-red animatronic fox dressed like a pirate. It had fox ears and a bushy tail, and wore tan-colored ragged shorts and an eye-patch on the left eye. It also had a hook for a right hand. The most notable thing about the red fox was that it appeared to be in pretty bad shape. The animatronic fox stared back at the two girls, grinning mischievously with its row of pointy teeth. Jackie looked up at the pirate fox and felt creeped out by it. The red fox had a villainy look to it. She wondered what role it used to play here at the restaurant.

"I know who this is," Danielle said, studying the animatronic on the stage. "It's Foxy the Pirate Fox! He's one of the most popular characters here! I can't believe they still have him!" With that, Danielle couldn't resist reaching out and touching the fox animatronic to see if it would move.

"Don't do that, Danielle. I don't think it works anymore. There's an "Out of Order" sign over there," Jackie pointed. "Besides, I don't like the looks of him. I've never liked pirates."

"What are you so afraid of?" Danielle taunted. "It's probably not even turned on. It's a shame that Foxy doesn't perform anymore. He's really cool-looking."

Jackie looked nervously up at Foxy who seemed to grin wickedly down at her. Those sharp teeth really made it look intimidating. She decided that she didn't want to hang around this animatronic for long. "Let's get out of here. I don't like pirates. They're mean and ugly-looking. I want to go back to the Dining Area."

"Coward…," Danielle whispered out the corner of her mouth. Jackie Garvey was no fun. Why did the girl have to be so timid? As the two girls exited Pirate Cove, Foxy's amber eyes stared directly at Jackie.

" _Interesting lass… Yar har har har_ …"

Back at the Dining Area, Katrina hadn't moved at all from her spot at the table. She hardly spoke or made eye-contact with anybody. Instead she sat there with a vacant look in her eyes with tufts of her honey-brown hair sticking out from her hoodie. At the Show Stage, Freddy Fazbear's head mechanically moved side-to-side in order to survey all those before him. Nothing amused him more than watching little kids trying to grab his attention. But he stood firmly on the stage and vowed never to come off it again.

Until he turned his head to the right and saw her for the first time… Freddy Fazbear's sky-blue eyes immediately zoomed in on the forlorn girl sitting at a table nearby with an empty expression. Scanners easily identified her as a kid and a guest, but something wasn't right. Half the kids in the Dining Area were running around playing, joking, talking loudly, and heading to the arcades. Not this girl… She was just sitting there and she looked…broken inside. It was very troubling to see. Was the girl hurt? Freddy's protective nature kicked in as he watched her from the Show Stage. This wasn't common here… He's never seen a girl look so traumatized before. Why was she like that?

Carefully scanning around the Dining Area, it seemed that nobody was paying him any close attention at the moment. Freddy had sworn to himself that he would never leave the stage. Ever since the horrible incident… he never went near the children again. But he was curious about the girl. He had to see her face…know what was wrong. In order to do that, he'd have to come offstage.

" _I can't come off the stage. If I do… the kids will_ …"

Freddy Fazbear was torn between wanting to stay put and wanting to approach the girl. The girl hadn't noticed him watching her. She hadn't touched her pizza or birthday cake, and she totally ignored Bonnie's and Chica's efforts to befriend her. Perhaps if he stepped in, he could get a response from her. He was the mascot of this restaurant and it was his sworn duty to provide the safety and well-being of children. But he couldn't do that from here. Freddy Fazbear made his decision. Making sure that nobody was watching, Freddy did the one thing he'd sworn he never do again. He moved his robotic legs and walked offstage.

Bonnie had noticed Freddy and stopped to watch him with curiosity. With determination in his every step, Freddy began making his way over to the table where the depressed girl sat. Over at the Prize Corner, Puppet had popped out to surprise little girls with gift boxes filled with toys. When it looked up and saw that Freddy Fazbear had walked offstage and was heading towards a lone girl, the Puppet was surprised. Now what could possibly have brought this on? From inside its music box, the Puppet quietly observed as Freddy finally reached the girl.

Katrina felt bored to death and wondered when it was time to leave. Suddenly a big shadow fell over her, causing her to look up with a startled gasp. To her astonishment, it was none other than Freddy Fazbear, the mascot of the pizzeria. The big bear animatronic was beaming down at her with its blue eyes twinkling merrily. Holding up his microphone, Freddy leaned down to the girl and politely spoke to her.

"Hello there, miss. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Freddy Fazbear," with that, the animatronic bear tipped his top-hat and bowed like a true gentleman before her. "How are you this evening? Care to take a stroll around the restaurant with me?"

Katrina didn't know what to say. This was clearly not what she wanted. She'd been avoiding the annoying animatronics all day. When Freddy got no answer from her, he chuckled good-naturedly. "Whoops. Please forgive my deplorable manners, I haven't even asked for your name."

But Katrina stubbornly crossed her arms and looked the other way, hoping that the animatronic would go away and find somebody else to entertain. But Freddy didn't give up easily and tried to get her to talk to him. "Still silent, eh? Maybe I can guess your name! Think you can give me a hint?"

Now Katrina was growing irritated and turned around to say something angry, but something stopped her. She noticed something off about Freddy Fazbear's eyes. Maybe it was her imagination, but was eyes supposed to glow like that? She couldn't explain it, but those eyes glowed like it had a life of its own. Surely it had to be a trick of the light? Upon further examination, she could tell that Freddy Fazbear was an old animatronic with a couple of dents and scratches on him. Yet she sensed great energy emanating from within the animatronic bear. Was that normal? Looking further down, Katrina looked at Freddy's stomach area and saw human eyes staring back at her.

Katrina's scream was so loud that every head turned to stare as the girl literally fled from Freddy Fazbear and ran away into the girls' bathroom. It was so unexpected that most people were trying to understand what just happened. Jackie, Danielle and Gina looked at one another and wondered what that was all about. Tracy on the other hand was snickering meanly over at the girls' bathroom where Katrina had disappeared into out of terror.

"So she's afraid of animatronics. What a wimp," Tracy jeered.

Freddy Fazbear stood perfectly still and couldn't believe what just transpired. He hadn't meant to frighten the girl. In fact, he didn't believe she was afraid of animatronics. If that were the case, she would have fled at the first sight of him. No something else had scared her. Was it possible that she saw his…? Excited shouts interrupted his confused thoughts. Kids everywhere were thrilled to see that Freddy Fazbear had come offstage and they came running to surround him. They all wanted to hug Freddy, play with him, take their picture with him, wanted him to sing for them. Feeling obligated, Freddy decided to entertain these children and make them happy. After all, it was what he was built for.

Inside the girls' bathroom, Katrina had the faucet running and was splashing cool water on her face. No matter what she did, she couldn't get the image of what she saw out of her head. She had to have been seeing things. Katrina tried to calm herself down, but it wasn't easy. She was afraid now. There was something wrong with the animatronics. The bathroom door opened and Mrs. Cosgrove poked her head in and looked over at Katrina with concern. The other girls told her what happened.

"Katrina? Are you okay? What happened? Gina said you got scared by Freddy Fazbear and ran in here," Mrs. Cosgrove said.

Katrina was too shaken up to utter a word. She still wasn't sure on what she just saw. One minute the bear animatronic was talking to her, and then she saw…something else inside it. Was it real? Didn't anybody else notice it? Mrs. Cosgrove approached her and gently shook her a little. Taking a deep breath, Katrina tried getting it together.

"Well I guess we've had enough fun for today. We've been here for nearly three hours," Mrs. Cosgrove checked her wristwatch. "I guess we all better get going. Come on Katrina, let's go find the others. I want to get dinner started when we get back."

Katrina didn't want to go back out there, but she had no choice. Rather she liked it or not, she'd have to get by the animatronics in order to reach the exit. Holding onto Mrs. Cosgrove's arm for support, Katrina braced herself as they exited the girls' bathroom. The first thing she saw were Jackie, Gina, Tracy and Danielle waiting around for them. Tracy was still laughing at how ridiculous Katrina looked when she ran. But Katrina didn't care. Instead she gazed uneasily over at the Show Stage where the restaurant's mascot stood out.

Freddy Fazbear was singing a party song for all the kids to dance to. Looks like everyone was having a swell time. Nothing unusual about that. Before she reached the exit, Katrina turned and locked eyes with Freddy Fazbear and saw that the big bear was watching her. Those blue-eyes lit up vividly at the sight of her. Confirming that what she saw was real. And it seemed that she was the only one who could see it. Katrina Marlowe had seen a ghost…

 **A lot of freaky moments in this chapter. There are also a lot of mysteries that readers won't help but take notice of. What horrible trauma did poor Katrina and Jackie go through? Most of all, Freddy Fazbear mentions a horrible event that happened at the restaurant. Which one is it? There were a lot of horrible events that happened at FFP. Good lucking figuring out which one! More chapters will be forthcoming.**


	3. Phenomenon in the Pizzeria

**Sorry for the long wait. Continuing on from the last chapter. Some mysteries will be solved, and sometimes there will be new mysteries. But then, that's the beauty of FNAF lore. Gotta love Scott for playing all these guessing games with us and always trying to get us to figure out which theory proves true and which theory will prove false. That's what ultimately led me to love FNAF after playing all four games. To this day, it's still fun trying to solve FNAF mysteries. But enough about me, read on my readers!**

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The next day, all four girls couldn't stop talking about their adventures at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. They talked about the arcade games they've played, the prizes they've won, and talked about the animatronics. The girls lived in a large two-story house on Hollyhock Lane. Tracy and Danielle sat on the porch steps and were busily gossiping with each other, while Jackie sat on the porch swing and was perfectly content to read a favorite book of hers.

It was the only way to distract herself after the lawyer had dropped by to see her. It seemed that her mother really wasn't coming back. But looking in the bathroom mirror earlier this morning had only served to remind her that she wasn't coming back either. There was nothing to come back to. Jackie looked up and spotted Katrina out in the garage. She had her book-bag on and was taking out her red bike. Jackie couldn't see her face as it was always hidden behind that blue hoodie of hers. Tracy and Danielle also noticed Katrina walking down the driveway with her bike in hand.

"Where is she going?" Danielle asked. "That's the first time I've ever seen her leave the house. Katrina is usually shut up in her room all day."

"I think she's weird," Tracy said, clearly uninterested. "Didn't you see how she ran away at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza the other day? I think she was only doing it for attention. The girl has got serious issues."

Katrina heard Tracy's snide remarks and ignored them. She never cared what the other girls thought of her. Because today she was on a mission. After having gone through a sleepless night, Katrina decided that she had to get to the bottom of this. What was really going on at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza? Were the rumors that the place was haunted true? She hadn't believed the ghost stories about the restaurant at first. But after seeing…"something" inside the Freddy Fazbear animatronic, it made her believe otherwise. There was only one way she was going to know for sure, and that was to return to the pizzeria. So she hopped on her bike and began to make the trip to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.

Luckily the family restaurant wasn't too far away, and it only took her thirty minutes to arrive there. There were a lot of cars parked in the lot, which meant that the pizzeria was open. Katrina took her bike and carefully chained it to a nearby lamp-post before heading for the entrance. Good thing she saved her allowance and was able to pay the fee to gain entrance. Katrina's heart pounded nervously and she realized that she was still afraid. But she took a deep steadying breath, gathered her courage, and stepped into the Dining Area.

The first thing Katrina saw was a birthday party in progress. All three of the animatronics were onstage, putting on a show for a happy boy who was celebrating his tenth birthday today. Katrina kept her distance and watched the animatronics carefully. They weren't behaving suspiciously. She watched as Freddy Fazbear held out his big hand and shook hands with the birthday boy while the parents took their picture. Katrina studied the animatronic bear closely, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. So maybe what she saw the other day "was" her imagination?

" _Hey look. Over there…"_

" _Where?"_

" _Standing over there in the back. It's the same girl. What do we do?"_

" _Nothing. We've got a show to do, Chica. We can't get distracted."_

" _Pipe down you two. I'll keep an eye on her. Just keep acting naturally_."

Katrina didn't like the way Freddy Fazbear's head moved directly toward her. Those sky-blue eyes seemed to follow her every movement. Feeling unnerved, Katrina hurried away and disappeared into the first room she came to. She entered the Arcade that was noisy with the sounds of kids and video games. Looking around the place, she saw many classic games such as Pac-Man, Street Fighter II, Mario Bros, Tetris, and among others. There were pinball games, basketball hoops, Skee-Ball, and Crane machines. Kids everywhere were collecting tickets and excitedly running off to cash them in at the Prize Corner.

"This seems like a normal place. Yet why do I sense that something amiss?" Katrina wondered to herself. Now she exited the Arcade and continued to explore the pizzeria.

Heading back to the Dining Area, Katrina saw that the show was over and that Bonnie and Chica were already wandering around playing with their adoring fans. However Freddy Fazbear still stood onstage, smiling amicably and wiggling its mechanical bear-ears. Katrina watched with fascination as a little black girl wearing a yellow party-dress approached Freddy and curtsied before him. Freddy reacted by tipping his fancy top-hat and bowing to the girl respectfully. It would seem that Freddy Fazbear had all the charm of a gentleman. She was starting to see why he was so popular.

"I wonder if this place is haunted. If there are ghosts here, then where are they? How come I haven't seen any? Are they hiding?" These curious thoughts ran through Katrina's mind. The last time she saw a ghost, it was inside an animatronic. Katrina studied Freddy Fazbear but she didn't see anything odd.

"Hello there! Didn't think I'd forget you!" Katrina jumped when she saw Chica the Chicken approaching her from the right with a big plate filled with birthday cupcakes. "Everyone gets a free birthday cupcake! After all, the best way to someone's heart is through their stomach."

Letting out a startled cry, Katrina backed away in fright, only to bump into Bonnie the Bunny who came at her from the left. "Hi there little bunny! Would you like to listen to some music? Try to guess which song it is!"

Caught between Bonnie and Chica, Katrina looked fearfully up into their robotic eyes. For a second time, she saw their eyes glowing bright and sensed a presence…another presence. What was it? Was it a ghost? Before she could understand what was going on, a mirthful belly-laugh from behind caught the two animatronics' attention. Bonnie and Chica looked up to see Freddy wagging a scolding finger at the two of them.

"Now, now you two. Give our little guest here some room. Kindly see to the other children," Freddy firmly instructed them.

To her amazement, Bonnie and Chica obediently left and went off to find other children to entertain. Once they were gone, Katrina stared up at Freddy Fazbear who stared back at her. The animatronic bear was smiling politely but its eyes gleamed with intelligence. Katrina realized that Freddy was their leader… The one who somehow controlled the other animatronics. Feeling a chill go down her spine, she ran off to get away from the watchful eyes of the restaurant mascot.

The Prize Corner was another place she'd wanted to explore. People came here to cash in their tickets and tokens for prizes. Katrina entered the place and looked around at all the plush dolls, toys, candy, among other souvenirs. While eying some beautiful bracelets, she looked up and spotted the decorative posters of Freddy & friends on the walls. But one poster depicted what appeared to be a gold-colored animatronic bear that had big black empty eyes. How creepy… it looked like a gold version of Freddy Fazbear. Katrina shivered and immediately looked the other way.

Suddenly a "Pop goes the weasel" tune started playing. Katrina turned toward the source of the music and noticed a big music box designed to look like one big present with a ribbon on top. But looking closer, she saw that there was something inside it. Something was watching her. Katrina felt her heart racing as the lid opened a crack and she was able to see what was inside. She breathed a sigh of relief when it turned out to be a harmless little puppet. It was the most strangest-looking puppet too. Katrina approached the box and bent down to study the black & white marionette.

When it saw her standing there, the Puppet popped out to greet her with a welcoming smile and offered her a gift box. After gratefully accepting the gift, Katrina's curiosity got the better of her. She leaned in to study the Puppet's cutely painted face, admiring its pink cheeks and puckered lips, the odd-like lines that made it look like it was crying purple tears, and lastly to see two pinprick eyes watching her.

The gift box fell out of her hand and Katrina had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming out-loud. She had seen those eyes before…Freddy Fazbear had the exact same ghostly eyes too. This was real. And here before her, she was looking at another cleverly hidden ghost. Seeing her shocked reaction, the Puppet darted back inside the safety of its box and slammed the lid shut. Katrina tried prying the music box open but somehow it was locked. Or perhaps the Puppet was deliberately keeping her out.

At that very moment, she finally figured it out. The pizzeria wasn't haunted… The animatronics were the ones that were haunted. There were ghosts inside them. It explained so much. The animal characters here acted a little too "lively" to be mere simple machines. Who were these ghosts and why were they here? For the first time ever, Katrina found her voice again and spoke for the first time in two months.

"Come on. I know you're in there! Stop hiding from me! I just want to talk!" Katrina said in frustration to the music box that was closed to her. She crossed her arms and frowned. "I know you're a ghost. I know this place is haunted."

No matter what she said, the Puppet remained firmly locked inside its music box. Now Katrina sighed in defeat. "Fine, you win. It's just… Ghosts who haunt a place usually have unfinished business. That's why you're here, isn't it? I know what you're going through." Katrina sadly hung her head and remembered her own tragedy. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm a ghost. I sure don't feel alive anymore."

The pizzeria was nearing its closing time at 7:00PM sharp. Customers were already gathering their children and heading for the exit. The staff had already wiped the tables, mopped the floor, cleaned the kitchen, and shut off the animatronics to give them rest. There was a reminder that if any customer forgot something in the restaurant, it would be placed in the lost & found. Having no choice but to leave, Katrina decided to try again tomorrow. Sooner or later, she would get these ghosts to communicate with her.

Just as she started to exit the Prize Corner, the tune of Pop goes the Weasel stopped her. Katrina looked back and saw the Puppet peeking out at her from inside its box. Those pinprick eyes stared warily at her. Other than Freddy Fazbear, the Puppet also seemed to have a mind of its own. Katrina moved slowly toward the box so as not to scare the Puppet away. Finally she stood directly in front of it. The Puppet continued to study her with its creepily glowing eyes. This time the Puppet didn't shut her out and boldly faced her.

"You're not hiding this time, I see," Katrina observed. "Isn't it cramped inside that music box?" The Puppet remained silent. "Not talking, huh? But you do understand me. Are you a ghost? Who are you?" The Puppet didn't answer. "Fine. Don't talk to me. It's getting late and you must be tired from handing out gifts all day. Here, I'll rewind the music box for you before I go."

There she winded up the crank and listened as the tune of My Grandfather's Clock started to play. Katrina watched as the Puppet slipped peacefully back into its box. Looks like the Puppet was fond of its music. Smiling in satisfaction, Katrina grabbed her book-bag and prepared to exit the restaurant. She wondered what Mrs. Cosgrove was cooking for dinner tonight. Entering the lobby, Katrina headed straight for the door.

The door was locked. "Huh? What the…" She tried pushing on the door, tried tugging it open. No matter what she did, the door wouldn't budge. To her horror, Katrina realized that she was locked in. The staff must not have realized she was still hanging around the Prize Corner when they closed up.

"Hello! Is somebody out there? Hey! Help me! I'm locked in here!" Katrina tried pounding on the door, but it was no use. No one would be able to hear her. Looking through the glass door, Katrina could see that the parking lot was empty. No car in sight. Without warning, all the lights went off in the restaurant.

Now Katrina stood there in the dark, feeling scared for the first time. She couldn't stand there forever; she had to get out of here fast. And the only way to do that was to head back into the restaurant and look for another way out. There was nobody here but the animatronics. But the thought of being alone with a bunch of haunted animatronics didn't make her feel any calmer. Katrina hurried back to the Dining Area and looked over to see Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie and Chica still standing in their rightful places. The darkness seemed to make them look creepier than ever.

"Keep it together. They're only lifeless machines," Katrina told herself. She tried not looking too closely at the animatronics and instead headed back to the Arcade room where she remembered seeing windows there earlier. Maybe she could climb out through a window?

No good, the windows could be opened but it wasn't wide enough for her to squeeze through. A sudden noise caused her to jump. What was that? She stood perfectly still and listened carefully. Nothing but silence. Katrina decided to head for the bathrooms next where there were also windows. Luckily these windows were a little bigger to slip through, but she'd need something to climb on in order to reach them. She was thinking of what to use when another sudden sound made her gasp.

This time Katrina definitely heard it. The sounds were faint at first, but it got louder. It was footsteps. Someone or something was walking around. Was there someone else here? Quietly as she could, Katrina slowly peeked out the bathroom door to check. However it wasn't what she saw that shocked her; it was what she "didn't" see. Bonnie the Bunny was missing from the Show Stage. The footsteps she just heard were from Bonnie walking around…


	4. Meet Freddy & Friends

**The story will be featuring all the animatronics, that'll way readers will get to see their respective favorite character. However I would like to point out that I won't feature the ones like the Toy animatronics or phantoms because that's for another story. Personally I always saw Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, Golden Freddy and the Puppet as main characters beside the human protagonists. There will also be villainous characters as well, which all in all, the story promises to be a good read. Thanks for listening to me ramble, enjoy the chapter!**

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Katrina froze with fear when she discovered the dark secret of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. The animatronics wandered around at night-time? How could that be? Shouldn't they have been turned off? No time to figure it out, she couldn't stay here forever. Bonnie the Bunny was out there and it was only a matter of time before it found her. Hiding in the girls' bathroom for the moment, Katrina desperately wondered what to do now. Her only option was to leave the restaurant as fast as possible. There was no telling what the animatronics were like at night-time.

Quietly slipping out of the girls' bathroom, Katrina kept her eyes glued to the Show Stage while trying to make her way toward the arcade room. She could borrow a stool from there in order to reach the bathroom window. But along the way, she spotted yet again another poster of the golden bear with empty eye-sockets. Honestly what was with this picture and how come nobody else ever noticed it? Katrina ended up making the mistake of closely examining the poster and trying to see what was so special about it. It was a creepy poster. She got distracted by the sound of more footsteps. Before she had time to react, Katrina turned around and saw a big golden bear animatronic appear out of nowhere in front of her.

"Ahhhhhhggggghhh!" Katrina's scream echoed throughout the entire restaurant, but she didn't care. She fled from the arcade in a panic and her only thought was escaping from this cursed place.

Katrina tried running back to the lobby but saw Bonnie the Bunny blocking the way to the entrance. It swiveled its head to stare at her with its eerily glowing red eyes. She must have taken it by surprise because Bonnie appeared confused at the sight of her. She didn't bother to see what it would do next and ran the other way. Her chances of escaping through the bathroom window were dashed when she saw Chica the Chicken hanging around the restrooms. That must be who she heard walking around just now. Detecting movement, Chica's head turned and had no trouble spotting Katrina.

Now Katrina turned and dashed down the East Hallway to put as much distance as she could between her and the animatronics. Maybe there was a backdoor to the pizzeria. Why hadn't she thought of that before? It was her only way of escape now. She had to leave the restaurant before the animatronics became tempted to come after her. Running blindly through the darkness with her heart hammering inside her chest, Katrina reached the end of the hall and ran-smack into a wall.

"What? No backdoor?" Katrina cried. She was out of breath and her heart wouldn't stop pounding from fear. She desperately tried feeling around for any door, but there was none. This was a dead-end.

Katrina gasped and spun around when she started hearing the voices. She could hear talking but couldn't make out what was being said. The animatronics were on the other side of the hallway and she was trapped. Could the animatronics be dangerous? She never saw any of them hurt a kid before. And that was when she heard it…heavy footsteps coming down the hall. One of the animatronics was coming for her. Pressing herself against the wall, Katrina stared down the dark hallway and screamed in terror at the sight of "him."

It was Freddy Fazbear. Katrina could make out his top-hat and wiggling bear-ears in the dark. The one animatronic she hated the most and the one coming for her. Katrina cowered in the corner while feeling tears drip down her cheeks. Freddy stopped five feet away from her and looked down with his gleaming blue eyes that lit up most of the hallway like a flashlight. Katrina wondered what it was planning to do with her. Was she…going to die? Without warning, Freddy Fazbear started to reach out for her with its great big hand.

Katrina flinched and broke down. "Noooo! Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry! I don't want to be here! I want to go home! I want to go home!" Katrina cried tearfully while closing her eyes and waited to feel Freddy's unforgiving hands to grab her and drag her away.

A second went by, then another. Katrina shook all over and waited for the bear animatronic to attack her. Nothing happened. She'd been covering her eyes the whole time, but now she dared a peek up at the frightening machine before her. Freddy Fazbear had backed off upon hearing her pleading cries. Gazing at her sympathetically, to Katrina's astonishment she saw Freddy smile gently down at her. And then he did something amazing. Sensing her discomfort, Freddy's face lit up and he began to play a cheery jingle just for her.

Confused at first, Katrina listened to the jingle and realized that it sounded similar to the Puppet's music box. Freddy Fazbear must also have been installed with a music box of its own. The longer she listened to Freddy's upbeat jingle, the calmer she suddenly felt. The animatronic bear appeared perfectly docile and wasn't behaving aggressively. Finally the jingle came to an end… then there was silence. What would happen now? Grinning at her from the darkness, Freddy Fazbear stepped forward and spoke.

"It's called the Toreador's March from Carmen. Did you like it? I can play it again if you want." Katrina was speechless. Freddy seemed to understand. "I see. It's not every day you get locked inside a pizzeria. But you're safe. Why don't you come with me?" He took a step forward, only to see the girl flinch again. So Freddy decided to try another approach.

"It's ok. I won't hurt you." There Freddy lowered his head down so that he was on eye-level with her. Katrina continued to look at him with mistrust, but Freddy smiled indulgently. "We don't get nightly visitors here. My friends and I didn't mean to scare you back there."

"Who are you?" Katrina suddenly asked out of the blue.

Freddy cocked an eyebrow at her in surprise. "What kind of question is that? Thought every kid knew my name. I'm Freddy Fazbear, your lovable teddy bear!"

"No you're not," Katrina insisted. She was starting to feel a lot braver. And now that this animatronic was talking to her, it was time to get some answers. "I saw a ghost inside you. I know what you really are. Do you…do you know there's a ghost inside you? Do you know who the ghost is?"

Freddy Fazbear frowned thoughtfully down at her. Katrina thought her question would go unanswered but then Freddy moved his mouth and answered. "Of course I know the ghost. I am the ghost."

Katrina gaped in disbelief. So that meant the animatronics were really… Now Katrina slowly approached the big bear animatronic. She reached out and gently touched Freddy's muzzle. Soon Katrina was no longer afraid and she became fascinated. Freddy watched as her small hands started caressing his ursine-face. Nobody had ever looked at him like that before and it brought emotions out of Freddy. Emotions he thought he locked away forever. There was something about this girl… She wasn't normal. And when she looked into his eyes, it was almost like she could see who he really was inside.

"You're so warm," Katrina noted, looking up at Freddy in awe. "I don't believe it. The stories are true. There really are ghosts in this place. But why are you all here?"

But Freddy looked away from her and his expression changed. "I can't answer that," he said sternly.

"Oh ok," Katrina muttered. "You wouldn't happen to know how I can get out of here. I accidentally got locked in and I can't find any other exits."

"It's very late out. I'm afraid you can't leave until 6:00AM," Freddy explained firmly. "You'll have to stay the night. Come with me." The animatronic bear offered her his hand, leaving Katrina with no other choice but to place her hand in Freddy's robotic one.

Katrina wasn't happy about having to stay here overnight. Now that Freddy had finally gained her trust, he led her down the East Hallway and back to the Dining Area. He had such a serious expression that it was the opposite of how he looked during the daytime hours. Katrina realized she was curious about this animatronic bear. Looking down at their connecting hands, she suddenly remembered something.

"My name is Katrina… Katrina Marlowe."

"Katrina… Freddy said softly. "That's a pretty name. If you'll come with me, you can meet my friends. They're waiting at the end of the hall." Freddy held Katrina's hand carefully so as not to hurt her. He couldn't stand to be in her presence. She reminded him of…

Three dark figures appeared out of nowhere from the darkness and Katrina quickly recognized who they were. Bonnie, Chica and even Foxy had come out to greet her. She did a quick count and saw that there were four ghosts in each of them, but wasn't there a fifth one? Katrina looked up and saw Bonnie approach her first. She started to back away, but felt Freddy's reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Hey I remember you. You're that girl from yesterday. You didn't seem very interested in playing games. All you did was sit around and stare. I wonder why though." Bonnie said all this very fast that Katrina had a hard time keeping up with him. He had a lot of energy for an animatronic. "I don't get it. I mean I've read about lethargy, but kids are usually so active."

"Maybe she's sick," Chica suggested. Her amethyst-eyes gazed upon Katrina with compassion. "Is that why you wouldn't eat the pizza and birthday cake? I hope there was nothing wrong with it."

"No…I…well…," Katrina felt awkward and never thought she'd be having this kind of conversation. She couldn't stop staring at all of them. They all seemed so alive. They didn't act like normal animatronics.

"Pay em' no mind, lass. Why didn't ye sneak off ter the Pirate Cove ter see me?" Foxy said, with a strong pirate accent. "Lots of lil' tykes do! Gets boring standing around curtains all day. Ye know, I used ter be a full-operational pirate. Kids used ter flock to my beach just ter see me."

"I never understood that. How come they don't use you anymore?" Katrina asked the pirate fox. "From what I've heard, you used to be really popular."

"Tis a tragic tale, it is. I'm all washed up, lass," Foxy sadly hung his head. "Gotten broken one too many times and those cheap landlubbers don' bother to get the money up ter repair me. So now I jus' collect dust. It's disappointed so many of me fans."

Katrina could see what he meant. Foxy's body was torn and ripped, exposing his endoskeleton underneath. His legs had no protective covering and were long and scrawny-looking. It really was sad to look at. That would also explain why Foxy was never seen during daytime hours. Instead on fixing the animatronic fox, the staff just locked him away at the Pirate Cove. Katrina reached out and touched Foxy's hook and saw that it was made out of metal. Like the others, Foxy was gentle and friendly. And she was slowly becoming less afraid of them. From behind her, she heard Freddy speak, and as usual, his powerful voice commanded attention.

"Everyone this is Katrina Marlowe. She'll be staying the night here. Make her comfortable and keep an eye on her," Freddy instructed the three animatronics. And his tone became stern. "You know the rules. I trust you'll remember not to break them. Well I'm off on my rounds."

To Katrina's chagrin, Freddy Fazbear didn't stick around and instead went off to disappear somewhere. What was even more disheartening was to see how surly he sounded to the others. Was he always that way? He certainly didn't behave like a grouchy bear during the day. What bothered her most was that Freddy didn't want to get to know her. Once their leader was out of earshot, Chica let out a sad sigh.

"Poor Freddy… He used to be so full of life. Now he just spends the days feeling sorry for himself," said Chica.

Katrina was suddenly reminded of herself but shook the feeling away. She turned to Chica and asked. "Why does he act that way?"

"Tis a sad story. Not meant for innocent ears," Foxy told her. Somehow this only made Katrina more curious than ever. Had something bad happened to Freddy Fazbear?

"You're awfully talkative all of a sudden," Bonnie pointed out. "How come you didn't want to party with the other kids? You didn't look like you were having fun sitting around."

Katrina looked down at the floor as depressed memories flashed through her mind. "I…I didn't want to come here. I wanted to be alone, she admitted."

"But why do you want to be alone?" Chica asked her. "You looked really sad. What about your parents? Didn't they come with you?"

"My parents left me…" Katrina said so unexpectedly that Chica was taken aback. Now all three animatronics looked uneasily at her and took notice of the gloominess in her tone of voice. Katrina saw way they were eying her sympathetically. It was the same look she got from everybody else too.

Finally Bonnie broke the awkward silence. "I'm sorry to hear that. It's not easy being abandoned. But don't worry, you're among friends," he reassures Katrina. "That must explain why Freddy came offstage. He hasn't done that in a long time. Freddy especially worries about troubled kids."

"So that's why Freddy Fazbear came to me like that," Katrina said, remembering when she'd first met the mascot of the restaurant. Now she grabbed a chair to sit on while the three animatronics gathered around her. There were so many things she wanted to know.

"I didn't believe it at first. The Cap'n coming offstage?" Foxy had gone and comfortably sat himself down into a chair next to her. It was weird seeing an animatronic sit. "Ol' Freddy swore never ter come off the stage. Yet he went and did it fer this plain-lookin gal?"

But when Katrina finally removed her blue hoodie, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy got a good look at her face for the first time and were stunned by what they saw. Pretty almond-shaped light brown eyes, a small nose, pink full-lips and waist-long honey-brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. All in all, she was an extremely pretty girl. Katrina noticed them all gawking at her and wondered why for a moment. Then Foxy took her hand and immediately became enamored with her.

"Whoa now, did I say plain? Yer're rare lil' treasure. Better beware; we pirates are known fer stealing away lovely treasure." Foxy winks flirtatiously down at Katrina.

"Wow, I had no idea. So your name is Katrina? Do you like music? I'm programmed to play all kinds of music! What are your favorite songs?" said an impressed Bonnie who kept bombarding her with enthusiastic questions.

"Cut it out you two!" Chica scolds. She yanks both Bonnie and Foxy away by their mechanical ear. Then she turned toward Katrina smiling pleasantly. "By the way, "Golden" wanted you to know he's sorry for scaring you like that. He only wanted to say hi."

Katrina became confused. "Golden? Who's Golden?" Just then, in a blink of an eye, she saw the exact same gold-colored bear from before. Katrina leaped out of her chair and stared in horror. This bear was a lot bigger and hunkier than the Freddy Fazbear usually seen here and its top-hat and bowtie was purple instead of black.

Bonnie quickly placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her. "It's alright. Golden is one of us. You don't see him during the day because he's a retired animatronic. He's shy so he hides a lot."

Well it certainly explains the strange poster she saw around the restaurant. But it didn't explain how an animatronic can hide in the walls like that… Katrina eyed this Golden suspiciously and felt that there was something different about this one. She couldn't put her finger on it. Golden stared back at her with those empty-looking eyes and hadn't said a word. When Katrina tried to reach out to touch him to see if he was real, to her surprise the gold-bear backed away from her nervously.

"Don't worry. Golden becomes friendlier once he gets to know you," Chica assured her. "They usually keep him in the parts & service room. Golden used to be really popular too. He was a mascot before Freddy."

Katrina was intrigued. She wanted to learn more about the restaurant's history. But when she turned around, Golden had completely vanished. It was almost like he was never there. "Huh? Where did he go? How'd he do that?" Katrina asked.

"Let's jus' say ol' Golden has this disappearing trick he likes ter play," Foxy replied. "The annoying lil' bugger likes ter appear in me Pirate Cove to pester me sometimes."

And that was when Katrina Marlowe started to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, Freddy, Golden… Five animatronics. Was it possible that the ghosts inhabiting the animatronics were kids? It made perfect sense. The animatronics were the ghost kids in disguise. Had she finally found the connection? But what happened here in the restaurant, and how did the kids die? There were still so many mysteries, and yet Katrina was determined to solve them all.

"I get it now. I know who you really are," Katrina said, pointing an accusing finger up at Bonnie. "The five missing children incident… You're the five missing children! They've tried searching for you everywhere, but you've been here in the restaurant all along!"

The three animatronics looked uncomfortably at each other. They didn't confirm nor deny her claims. But Katrina didn't give up. "How did you all die? And why are you haunting the pizzeria?" she demanded.

Bonnie and Chica didn't answer her. However Foxy firmly took Katrina aside and looked her in the eyes. "Not suppose ter do this, but ye seem like a trustworthy lass. Ye see, the reason we're all anchored ter this place is because…"

"Uh Foxy…we're not suppose to tell anyone about the you know what," Bonnie interrupted. "We're under orders to never speak to anyone about what happened here all those years ago. Freddy has forbidden us."

"What rubbish," Foxy disagreed with a frown. "What's the harm in telling lil' Katrina 'ere? She be a curious lass." Although Foxy did look around shiftily to make sure he wasn't being watched. Katrina had a feeling he was about to break a serious rule. Then the red fox leaned down and whispered to her. "Our tale begins six years ago, right ere' in tis very restaurant. We went ter the pizzeria fer the usual fun and games. But then we got lured away by an evil rogue and then…"

"Foxy!"

Katrina would recognize that strict voice anywhere. She looked over and sure enough saw Freddy Fazbear standing there. He looked furious and was glaring at Foxy. "What have I told you? Nobody can ever know the truth about us," he said angrily.

Foxy rose to his feet and turned to face Freddy. "I wasn't gonna tell her everythin', Cap'n. Don' know why we gotta be so secretive bout' everything. Besides, I like Katrina; I think we can trust her."

"I don't care what you think. We can't trust anyone. I would especially appreciate it if you didn't tell our horror story to kids!" Freddy snapped. He looked so fierce. Katrina didn't like this side of Freddy Fazbear.

"Hey don' be cuttin' wise with me! If ye weren't the cap'n of tis place, I'da make ye walk the plank years ago!" Foxy growled defiantly. Both he and Freddy were in each other's faces while Bonnie and Chica watched them anxiously.

"Well I am the captain of this place, and I expect you to follow my rules!" Freddy rebuked Foxy. "May I remind you that every decision I've ever made was to protect us? I don't need you sabotaging everything that I've worked so hard to fix! I get enough problems as it is around here!"

It broke Katrina's heart to see the conflict between Freddy and Foxy. Finally she couldn't stand to see them fight anymore so she bravely stepped in between them and tried to put a stop to it. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have asked questions. Please stop fighting!"

She hoped this would end their bickering. Freddy and Foxy continued to scowl at each other. "Get back to the Pirate Cove." Freddy ordered Foxy.

Katrina watched sadly as a bad-tempered Foxy started to head back to his attraction while grumbling nonstop along the way. She felt bad for having gotten Foxy into trouble like that. Bonnie and Chica were relieved that the arguing had ended. They were used to seeing Freddy and Foxy butt heads in the past. Now Katrina turned and flashed Freddy Fazbear a dirty look. He was no cuddly teddy bear but a mean bossy tyrant. Before she knew it, she was confronting Freddy too.

"How could you treat Foxy like that? Do you always go around yelling at people?" Katrina felt nervous challenging Freddy Fazbear like this, especially since he towered over her. But she didn't back down.

"I only yell at people who disobey my rules," Freddy said, eying her crossly. "I don't tolerate any rule-breakers here. And as for you missy, when dawn comes, I'll let you leave the pizzeria. But I don't ever want to see you here at night-time again. So for your own safety, stay away from here and stop asking questions about us."

And just like that, Freddy turned and walked away without another word to her. It left Katrina feeling unsettled. Was it a warning? Had Freddy threatened her? It did confirm one thing though. Terrible things have happened in this pizzeria. Crimes so horrific that Freddy Fazbear seemed determined to shield her from it. Well she was determined too. Katrina was going to learn everything she could about the dark history of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. She wasn't about to be scared away…


	5. Crimes from a dark past

**Thanks for the reviews I've been getting so far. Just another thing you should know, my favorite character is Freddy Fazbear. In my opinion, the bear doesn't get enough recognition in the FNAF fandom. Don't get me wrong, I love all the characters, but there's no harm in appreciating the underrated ones, am I right? Anyway as I was saying, most of the mysteries will be surrounding Freddy Fazbear in a couple of chapters.**

 **The more you read the chapters, the more it'll keep you guessing. There will be hidden clues that only the most cleverer of FNAF readers will be able to spot. For example, why is Freddy Fazbear afraid to come offstage? While he does possess a stoic attitude right now, readers will learn the truth. Also the other animatronics will get their time in the spotlight as well. That's enough for now, and as promised, here's the latest chapter!**

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Katrina Marlowe spent the night at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. After meeting the animatronics there, she ended up falling asleep in the Employee Lounge where she could snooze comfortably on a blue couch. Little did she know, Freddy Fazbear often snuck into the room to watch her sleep. Gazing down at the lovely girl before him, Freddy was once again filled with powerful emotions that overwhelmed him. He hadn't meant to come off as standoffish to her, but he meant well. But now he couldn't stop thinking about her… this headstrong girl who had challenged him. It only made Freddy more determined than ever to keep her far away from him.

Exiting the Employee Lounge, Freddy Fazbear knew it was time to return to the Show Stage. They would be opening up the restaurant soon. As he was walking by the Prize Corner, a soft-spoken voice stopped him. " _How long are you going to keep punishing yourself like this, Freddy_?"

The voice came from the music box. Freddy knew who it was. "Do we have to talk about this now? I don't have time for this, I need to get back to the Show Stage," he said dismissively.

" _She's_ _a pretty girl. She especially seems taken with you_ , "the voice said knowingly.

"It's not what you think." Freddy shakes his head with a doubtful frown. "The girl will forget about me. Besides, I've told her to never return to the restaurant."

The voice chuckled amusingly. " _You can't keep her away. She'll return_."

"She means nothing…," Freddy snapped impatiently. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time I got too close to kids? I don't ever want to feel that kind of pain again. This is for the best. All that matters now is that I stay strong and focused. I'd wish you respect that."

With nothing more to be said, Freddy Fazbear headed back to the Show Stage where Bonnie and Chica awaited him. The voice in the Prize Corner remained silent. Despite his bad temper, Freddy Fazbear was still suffering from that horrible incident. Instead on getting better, he was getting worse. It was starting to become a great concern. And the guardian of the Prize Corner wondered what could be done about it. Perhaps Katrina Marlowe was the key…

When morning arrived, Freddy remained true to his word and allowed Katrina to leave the restaurant. She was able to crawl out the bathroom window and safely return home. Of course she had a lot of explaining to do when Mrs. Cosgrove demanded to know where she'd been last night. The best explanation Katrina could give her was that she had a sleepover with a new friend she met. She didn't tell anyone that she had really spent the night at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Later in the day, Katrina made a trip to the local library to find as much information as she could about Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. And it was there that she was able to find old newspaper clippings about the many horrible incidents that took place at the popular pizzeria.

 **Murder at Local Family Diner**

 _Authorities have been called to the well-known Fredbear's Family Diner after horrified customers reported the dead body of a child outside the premises. The victim was found with multiple stab wounds and appeared to have bled to death. Further investigation reveals that the child was not carrying anything of value, and police suspect that it could have been street violence. The child's death has shocked the whole neighborhood. All customers that were there that day agreed on one thing. The poor child had cried to death on that cold hard pavement. The child's identity has been withheld out of respect for the grieving family._

 **The Five Missing Children Incident**

 _One June 26, five children have all been reported missing by their parents. The five kids, Bernard Walcott, Peter Donahue, Ava Ramsey, Todd Foxworth and Jake Goldman have failed to return home that day. The kids were last seen at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, but seemed to have completely vanished. It's been theorized that somebody had dressed up as a Fazbear character and lured the children away. Checking security surveillance has revealed that one of the employees had a criminal record as a child predator and has been placed under arrest. But there is no evidence that this suspect had anything to do with the five missing children. Their bodies have never been recovered._

 **Five Murders at Restaurant**

 _Also known as the "Butcher Night Incident," employees at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza had discovered the dead bodies of five children. The five victims, Colin Atkins, Larry Thatcher, Marie Jennings, Kate Levine, and Roger Sutton have been found brutally stabbed to death on restaurant grounds. This caused a major uproar as distraught parents have blamed the pizzeria and demanded for their business to be shut down. Harvey Cashman, CEO of Fazbear Entertainment has denied any involvement. Police investigations have revealed that the five kids have snuck into the restaurant after-hours and had the misfortune to walk in on a robbery. The cash register had signs of vandalism and security tapes have been tampered with. Rumors started to spread that this was the work of an inside job. However the killer has never been apprehended and the case remained unsolved._

Katrina couldn't believe that all these atrocious crimes have taken place at the kid-friendly restaurant. All those poor kids who lost their lives… And what of the five missing children? Well technically they weren't considered missing anymore. They were dead… Katrina Marlowe had seen proof of that in the haunted animatronics. It was a safe bet that the five missing children were the ones possessing them. But the sixth victim was something of a mystery. Who was the sixth child? Then there was also the Butcher Night incident that happened a year ago. Who killed those five kids? Was it the same killer?

Later that afternoon, Katrina found herself once again back at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. She just couldn't stay away from the place. However this time she came prepared and brought her backpack with her. Sitting at the table in the Dining Area, she was distracted by a show in progress. Freddy, Bonnie and Chica were all happily interacting with the children in the crowd. She watched as Freddy could make even the most cynical kids laugh. It was amazing to see how different Freddy was during the day. He was jolly and very dedicated to making children happy. But Katrina only remembered the mean and bitter Freddy Fazbear from last night. She wondered which one was the real Freddy…

Once the show was over, Bonnie and Chica came offstage to play with their adoring fans. Like usual, Freddy didn't join them and remained on the stage. Why is it that Freddy never wanted to play with kids? During this time, it enabled Katrina to have a conversation with Chica. She was sure it wouldn't look suspicious to see her hanging around with the sweet-natured animatronic chicken. This would also allow her to get information.

"Don't worry about Foxy," Chica reassured Katrina. "It's not the first time that Freddy and Foxy has fought like that. They've always been opposites. Freddy is a stickler for rules while Foxy is a bit of a troublemaker. But they do look out for each other."

Katrina sneaked a peek over at the Show Stage where she watched some kids talking to Freddy and trying to get his attention. "How come Freddy never leaves the stage?" Katrina suddenly asked.

Chica turned her head to look over at the Show Stage too, then leaned down and told Katrina in a low voice. "Freddy used to come offstage all the time to play with the kids. But ever since that horrible incident…well…his heart just isn't in it anymore."

"Which incident was it?" Katrina asked. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you," Chica said sadly. "I have to go entertain the children. They're waiting for me." Now Chica went over to the dining tables where she liked to greet little kids and ask them what they'd like to eat. So Katrina had to look for someone else to talk to.

Bonnie the Bunny wasn't hard to spot in the restaurant; his outgoing personality always attracted big crowds. All the kids thought Bonnie was the definition of cool and loved to surround him. Bonnie's eyes lit up upon recognizing Katrina. "Hello there! Welcome back to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza!" he cheered.

Katrina was glad to see a friendly face here in the pizzeria. "Hi Bonnie," she called to him. She watched as the animatronic bunny approached her while bringing his laughing fans with him. It was nice to see all these happy children. But deep down inside, Katrina envied them. She wished her life hadn't changed…

As if detecting her depression, Bonnie held out his hand and Katrina willingly took it. There she got to parade around with the cheerful purple-bunny all around the pizzeria. At that time, Katrina had the chance to get to know Bonnie and Chica. Later she even entered the Pirate Cove and tried to see Foxy. The pirate fox stood in his regular place behind the purple curtains. She looked up at him and felt bad knowing that he couldn't entertain children anymore. But judging from what she heard, Foxy had been known as a tough-as-nails pirate who braved the seven seas looking for adventure.

She'd spent the day getting to know the animatronics, with the exception of the Puppet and Golden Freddy. The Puppet still ignored her at the Prize Corner while Golden Freddy preferred to hide out in the parts & service room. And then there was Freddy Fazbear himself… It seemed that no matter what she did, Freddy continued to keep his distance from her. When it was finally closing time for the restaurant, Katrina cleverly hid inside the bathroom and waited for the last employee to leave. At exactly 9:00PM, the lights flicked off and the pizzeria was officially closed. Now Katrina quietly emerged from the girls' bathroom while carefully carrying her book-bag.

"Huh? Who's there? Who is it?" Katrina looked up to see the glow of Chica's amethyst-eyes surveying her in the darkness. "Oh it's you Katrina. What are you doing here? Did you get locked in here by accident again?"

"No. I thought I could spend the night here so I snuck in!" Katrina explained.

"What? You snuck back in here after I specifically told you not to return?" Freddy Fazbear had arrived with Bonnie behind him and he was scowling down at Katrina. "What do you think you're doing? This is unacceptable! You shouldn't be sneaking into restaurants, young lady!"

Katrina gulped nervously up at the angry animatronic bear. Freddy Fazbear could really be intimidating. Bonnie stepped forward and came to her defense. "Now Freddy, I'm sure she meant no harm. Katrina only wants to hang out with us." Bonnie tried to say soothingly.

But Freddy frowned at Bonnie in exasperation too. "With all due to respect, I entertain children all day long and I deserve a break. And on top of that, the girl is going to get into trouble if she's discovered here. She should be home with her family!"

Katrina felt hurt to hear the way Freddy made her out to be some unwanted pest. Besides, she had no family to go home to. "Are you going to throw me out?" she dared to ask.

Freddy looked back to her and Katrina could tell by his expression that her question caught him by surprise. She also could have sworn she saw his expression soften but it was quickly hidden away by his surliness once again. "No, I won't force you to leave. But as long as you're in this restaurant, you are to obey the rules here. And I want you gone by morning."

Now Freddy turned his stern gaze onto Bonnie and Chica. "You two keep a close watch on her. I don't want the girl to be left alone. I'll be off on my nightly rounds then." Without a backwards glance, Freddy Fazbear left the Dining Area and disappeared into the dark hallway.

It left Katrina feeling dejected to see that Freddy Fazbear wanted nothing to do with her. Why did the animatronic bear act like that? There were many mysteries in this pizzeria; but the biggest mystery of all was Freddy Fazbear himself. What could possibly have happened to turn the lovable mascot into a sour-faced one? There was only one explanation for it. It either had something to do with the Missing Children Incident or Butcher Night Incident. Then again, Katrina didn't even know the true identity of the ghost children. The only way she was going to learn anything was to earn Freddy Fazbear's trust.


	6. Freddy's Sorrow and the Puppet's Request

**Welcome back, FNAF readers. So far so good with the updates. Be sure to leave reviews to let me know how I'm doing so far. I'm well-known for doing long stories because I really love to write. With that said, go ahead and enjoy the latest chapter. BTW, I hope I really captured the personality of the animatronics here. They're based on what I think they would behave like as people. Have fun reading about your favorite animatronic!**

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The clock read 11:00PM and Katrina Marlowe was spending her second night at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. While Bonnie, Chica and Foxy were happy to keep her company, only Freddy Fazbear stayed away. During restaurant hours, Katrina tried many times to get Freddy to come offstage for her. But the animatronic bear paid no attention to her and instead interacted with other children. Despite her frustration with Freddy, Katrina was also fascinated by him. There was something about Freddy… She really wanted to understand him. Even though he'd been irritated to see her here at the restaurant after-hours, she had a feeling that Freddy was worried about her safety. Why else would he order the others to watch over her?

However there were other things she was curious about at the moment. "What's it like being an animatronic?" Katrina asked. She was closely examining Bonnie's arm and studying its mechanical movements. "Does it feel weird? Um, it didn't hurt when you became an animatronic, did it?"

"Of course not," Bonnie told her with a cheerful chuckle. "We're just like robots. The word "animatronic" is a portmanteau of "animate" and "electronics". Every now and then we need a good tune-up; we get fixed if broken, and it would be nice if we got baths."

"How did you possess the animatronics anyway?" Katrina wondered aloud. "How did you do it?"

"Sorry but we can't tell you," Chica said apologetically. "We're under orders to never reveal our true selves to the customers. Not even to children. Freddy says we can't trust anyone anymore."

At the mention of Freddy Fazbear, Katrina crossed her arms over her chest and frowned questioningly at the three animatronics. "Why do you let that grumpy bear boss you around? He's such a control freak!" But to her surprise, Bonnie, Chica and even Foxy were all smiling at her.

"It's not like that," Chica said kindly. "Please, I know Freddy sounds harsh, but he means well. He takes good care of us and protects us from any threat. And he really adores children; he'd do anything to keep them safe."

"Arrgh… The Cap'n may go overboard wit' his rules, but his heart be in the right place!" Foxy said proudly. "I take orders from nobody but Freddy Fazbear!"

"Don't judge him too soon, Katrina," Bonnie gently placed a hand on Katrina's shoulder. "Freddy's not so bad once you get to know him. He's really a nice guy. You'll see."

However Katrina still had her doubts. If Freddy Fazbear was so great, why did he act uptight around her? 12:00 AM… Katrina had packed a pillow and blanket to make her stay at the pizzeria a bit more comfortable. She laid there on the couch and didn't feel sleepy at all. Her mind was filled with too many troubled thoughts. She thought about her parents… Why did they have to go? She could never forgive herself for leaving them…

Sudden footsteps in the distance made Katrina sit up and listen. Somebody was walking around out there in the hallways. Who was it? Tossing aside the blanket, Katrina quietly tipped-toed to the door and slowly opened it to peek out. She saw a shadowy figure moving out there. She recognized it right away as Freddy Fazbear. It was very late and Bonnie and Chica stood immobile at the Show Stage. But Freddy was active and it was spooky to see the way he moved in the dark like that.

"I wonder where he's going." Katrina thought to herself. Silently slipping through the door, she began to carefully follow the animatronic bear through the restaurant. It wasn't easy since it was so dark out. She wondered how Freddy could see where he was going. He blended in so well with the darkness that all Katrina could make out was his ghostly pinprick eyes…

Katrina didn't have to wait long to see what the animatronic bear was up to. She watched as Freddy entered the arcade section and approached the big window with the view of the parking lot. Katrina hid behind an arcade machine and secretly spied on him. Through the window, she could see that it was a beautiful summer night. The dark purple sky was filled with rolling silver clouds, while a luminous full-moon shone like a beacon in the night. However Freddy didn't look like he was enjoying the view. He was staring transfixed at something.

Katrina snuck a little closer and tried to get a better look at Freddy. "He looks so sad…," Katrina realized. Freddy Fazbear was gazing out the window with a mourning expression, and his robotic blue eyes were filled with sorrow. It looked like he was about to cry. Katrina never saw this emotion from Freddy before.

She'd been so distracted watching Freddy that she accidently bumped into the arcade machine, and a cup filled with tokens came clattering to the floor. Freddy's head immediately turned in her direction. "Who goes there?" he called out suspiciously.

Afraid of getting caught, Katrina quickly ducked behind the arcade machine and hoped that Freddy wouldn't come over to investigate. Maybe with a little luck, she could sneak away from here undetected. After waiting a few minutes, she peeked out and saw that Freddy Fazbear was no longer standing near the window. He was gone. That's funny, she didn't hear him leave. Katrina turned away and without warning, Freddy materialized right in front of her that she gasped in shock. How did he do that!?

"I should have known," Freddy said, looking down at her disapprovingly. "What are you doing here? I've told you I didn't want you wandering around the restaurant by yourself. Why are you here?"

Now that she was found out, Katrina climbed to her feet and decided to face him. She gazed into Freddy's vivid eyes. "You may be able to order the others around, but you're not the boss of me. I don't have to explain myself to you," she said with utter defiance.

It looks like she touched a nerve because Freddy started scolding her right on the spot. "This isn't a game! As mascot of this restaurant, I have every right to tell you what to do. There are rules for a reason, ya know! And it's my job to maintain peace and control around here. I can't have you causing mischief!"

When Freddy was finished his lecture, Katrina stared up at him for a couple of moments before she burst into sudden laughter. Freddy's scowl vanished and he was nonplussed by this light-hearted behavior. "Huh? What's so funny?" he asked when Katrina continued to laugh.

Finally Katrina stopped laughing and looked up at Freddy while still having the giggles. "I'm sorry, it's just… You sound so childish! There really is a ghost kid inside you." She laughed again upon seeing Freddy's bewilderment. She had to admit that Freddy Fazbear was bossy in a cute sort of way. The others were right, he wasn't so bad. She really wanted the animatronic bear to like her so Katrina reached out and took Freddy's hand.

Freddy looked down at the little girl with the long honey-colored hair and felt conflicting emotions. Part of him wanted to keep her away, and then there was the part of him that wanted to know her. Ever since he saw her, he wanted to go to her. Freddy couldn't explain it, not even to himself, but he sensed that she needed him. As if her very soul had called out to him. And now looking into her smiling face for the first time, Freddy realized he liked her…This headstrong girl who had the courage to come back into the restaurant despite all the horrors that took place here. Katrina felt Freddy's fingers gently close around hers and she took it as a sign of his acceptance.

"Who are you? What's your real name?" Katrina asked him. "You weren't always called Freddy Fazbear. You were a kid once. If you have a real name, can I know it?" But unfortunately Freddy narrowed his eyes at her and Katrina realized she'd made a mistake.

Freddy released her hand and took a step back. "I'm sorry. But I'm known as Freddy Fazbear now. The kid I used to be doesn't exist anymore," he said morosely. Then he turned his back on her. "I don't focus on the past. All that matters is what happens here and now."

"Oh come on. Please tell me!" Katrina wheedled. To her dismay, Freddy was back to putting distance between them. She refused to let him retreat from her so she stubbornly went around and blocked his path in case he tried taking off. "I won't tell anyone, I promise. You can trust me."

"No I can't," Freddy said stiffly. He wouldn't look her in the eyes but remained adamant. "My friends are the only family I have left. I would do anything to protect them. It's important that nobody ever learns the truth about us. Our only sole purpose is to make children happy. It's a job I take very seriously."

"That's painfully obvious," Katrina muttered sarcastically. Before she knew it, she was feeling ticked off. She was wasting her time here. Freddy would never open up to her. "If you don't want to talk to me, I'll just leave. Sorry for spying on you earlier."

Katrina walked away from Freddy and out of the arcade in a huff. Honestly she didn't know why she even bothered. That Freddy Fazbear acted way too serious and the only time she ever saw him lighten up was whenever he was putting on a show for kids. Katrina was walking by the Prize Corner when she heard heavy footsteps from behind her. It seemed that Freddy was following her. Now she turned around to angrily tell him off.

"What do you want now? Come to deliver some more lectures?" Katrina said with arms akimbo.

But instead Freddy held out his big paw to her and held out her heart locket in the palm of his hand. "You dropped this back there,' he said quietly.

Katrina took back her heart locket and felt bad about her rude behavior. "Thank you." She clasped the necklace around her neck and made sure it was secured in place. Freddy watched her and she noticed that his eyes had soften. Maybe he felt bad about his behavior toward her as well?

"I want you to go back to the Employee Lounge and stay there," Freddy told her firmly. "I want you to stay where I can keep an eye on you."

Typical… Freddy was back to giving her orders again. "Stop telling me what to do. You think because you're the mascot around here gives you the right? Do you always boss kids around or do you just like picking on me?" Katrina demanded. She didn't mean to lose her temper, but this bossy bear was really starting to get to her.

"I'm only looking out for your safety," Freddy argued. "I tell you this for your own good. I don't want you to go anywhere by yourself. There may be danger in the restaurant, especially at night-time."

"Well then I've got nothing to worry about because you'll protect me, right?" Katrina said matter-of-factly. Something changed in Freddy's face when she said it. The way he was looking at her was unsettling. There was a sad look in those blue eyes and his expression had become very grim. Had she said the wrong thing again?

In Freddy Fazbear's mind, he kept replaying that night of terror over and over until it tortured him. _Racing desperately through the restaurant_ … _Trying so hard to find the Puppet but unable to_ … _Those poor children laid bleeding and dying_ … _All five of them_ … _And then "he" showed up and stopped him_ … _Freddy wanted to save them_ … " _You can't_ "… _That cruel voice still taunted him in his nightmares_. As always, these memories tormented Freddy and constantly reminded him of his guilt and failure. All the pain and heartache that came afterwards was worse. He didn't want to remember the cries of the devastated parents.

"Freddy, what's wrong?" Katrina's soft voice broken into Freddy's mental anguish.

She was gazing up at him with compassion in her brown-doe eyes. But Freddy personally felt that he didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve to call himself the mascot of this pizzeria. He failed those children… Since then, he couldn't look at other children the same way again. The guilt and self-loathing became too much that Freddy couldn't even bring himself to face Katrina Marlowe. A girl that threatened to open up old wounds.

"Just get back to the Employee Lounge and don't let me catching you sneaking off!" Freddy snapped at her. Then Freddy turned and headed back to the Show Stage where Bonnie and Chica still stood

"I liked you better as a happy bear…," Katrina muttered sadly. She was close to tears and wondered what she could have possibly done to provoke Freddy like that. She was only trying to help.

Katrina started back to the Employee Lounge, but then she heard something. The tune of Pop goes the Weasel was playing in the background, something that only happened whenever the Puppet popped out of its box. Now Katrina turned around and headed for the Prize Corner instead. Once there she began to look around and saw the music box right away in its regular spot. Only to see that it was wide open and the music was playing loudly. She went over to close it, but quickly noticed that the box was empty. The Puppet wasn't inside it…

" _Hello there_ …"

Katrina jumped and spun around to see it was none other than the Puppet sitting on a counter. This was the first time she ever saw the Puppet out of its box. To her surprise, the Puppet was a lot bigger than she thought, at least the size of a child. It was very slender and had long arms and legs. The Puppet sat with three-fingered hands resting on its lap while gazing down at her with its intelligent eyes. Katrina hesitated before approaching the Puppet.

" _I'm glad you're here. I am called Puppet. Perhaps it's time for you and me to talk_ ," the Puppet spoke again.

"That's funny. You didn't seem so interested in talking with me before," Katrina said warily. The Puppet sure was a mysterious little thing. Most puzzling of all was its voice; she couldn't tell if it was a boy's or girl's voice.

" _I'll admit I couldn't make up my mind about you. I didn't know if having you here was a good thing or a bad thing. But after overhearing your little spat back there with Freddy, it confirmed something for me_." The Puppet explained.

"Oh I'm sorry if all the loud noise disturbed you," Katrina said apologetically.

The Puppet smiled understandably. " _Actually I rather enjoyed it_." Katrina became perplexed by this, and the Puppet continued on. " _You've really gotten under Freddy's skin. Not too many people can do that_."

"What do you mean? What do you want to talk about anyway?" Katrina asked.

Now the Puppet sighed and turned its head to look over at the Show Stage where they could both see Freddy standing in between Bonnie and Chica. " _Your name is Katrina, right? I brought you here because I want to talk about Freddy with you_."

Katrina hadn't been expecting this. But now she really did want to hear what the Puppet had to say. So she came closer and kept her voice low so as not to be overheard. "What about Freddy?"

" _I'm afraid it's a long story._ " the Puppet said. _"Maybe I should start at the beginning. You've guessed the truth about us. You know who we really are, don't you?"_ Katrina shook her head no. " _That doesn't surprise me; Freddy has always been tight-lipped about personal information. However I think you've earn the right to know. After all, you've been very persistent._ _"_ Katrina smiled sheepishly as she recalled all those times she'd hung around the music box, trying to get the Puppet to come out.

" _Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy and even Golden Freddy are the missing children. They came here as innocent children, but sadly they were viciously killed. Their bodies were quickly hidden inside the animatronics so nobody would ever know what became of them. But their souls went on to live inside the very animatronics they loved._ _"_

"How horrible," Katrina said, it was disturbing to hear. "But wait… how do "you" know all this?"

The Puppet paused for a moment, and then quietly admitted. " _Because "I'm" the one who brought them back to life. I found their lifeless bodies. Taking pity on the poor souls, I gave them all a very special gift. The gift of life… Since then, I've been guiding the others on a very important mission._ "

"Hold on… You're the one who put their souls in the animatronics? But how? I mean…You're just a puppet…" She studied the Puppet from its masked head right down to its pointy toes. It was hard to believe that this seemingly ordinary marionette had that kind of power. Finally she looked back up to the Puppet's painted face. "You said you brought the others back for an important mission. What mission?"

" _Our mission is to stop the very one who murdered us all."_ The Puppet's expression became grave. _"We don't know who he is. To us he is simply known as "Purple Guy." I was his first victim. So I decided to borrow the body of this puppet. I've been trying to find a way to stop this child killer but it hasn't been easy doing it alone. But luckily when I helped the five children, they all decided to help me in return. Together we've been protecting children and looking for our chance to avenge the wrongs done to us."_

It was all starting to make perfect sense. That explains everything. Katrina was glad that at least the Puppet was being more forthcoming with information. However there was still one thing she didn't quite get. "I don't understand. Why are you telling me all this?" she couldn't help but wonder.

This time the Puppet smiled warmly. " _I'm glad you asked me that. First let me to ask you this question, Katrina. Do you care about Freddy?"_

Katrina felt her face go red and realized that the question embarrassed her. Freddy Fazbear certainly was annoying and she kept allowing herself to get worked up over an animatronic bear no less. Then she realized that the only reason she kept coming back to the pizzeria was just so she could see Freddy Fazbear. After seeing Freddy look so depressed from before, she truly felt sorry for him. Out of all the animatronics here, it was his friendship she really wanted.

"Yes. Yes I do care about Freddy," Katrina answered truthfully.

" _Good!"_ The Puppet beamed proudly, but then its smile faded. _"I'm afraid I'll have to tell you another sad story. Perhaps one you've heard of before. It involves the Butcher Night Incident."_

"Oh I've heard of that," Katrina remembered. "It's about five children being found murdered inside the restaurant. It was tragic. They don't know who killed the children. The killer was never caught."

The Puppet balled its hands into tight fists while its expression changed into one of fury. The Puppet looked frightening when it was mad. _"No they never did find the killer. But "we" know who it was. The same monster that made victims of us! It was the Purple Guy!"_ Now the Puppet calmed down and looked imploringly to Katrina. _"There's more to the story. What happened that night changed Freddy…but not for the better. Let me tell you what really happened._ _"_

( **Flashback** )

" _It was an ordinary day at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Freddy, Bonnie and Chica were entertaining a large crowd of kids. Freddy was different back then. As mascot, he was the life of the party. He sang for children, brought them birthday cake, made children laugh, and even gave out free bear hugs. Freddy was truly a legend and everyone looked up to him. There wasn't a child he couldn't win over. But most of all, Freddy always came offstage to play with the children. Nothing brought him more joy than that."_

" _There were these five kids who especially adored Freddy Fazbear. They liked to call themselves the Fazbear Club. Every time they came to the restaurant, Freddy came offstage to see his fans. Freddy spend all day loving those kids and getting to know each of them. And when it was closing time, all the customers had to leave. It was quiet that night. I was resting in my box while listening to my music. But that was when…I started to hear horrifying noises."_

" _By the time I noticed something was wrong, it was already too late. When I came out of my music box, I saw a girl lying in a pool of blood right there. She was barely alive and looking up at me with terror in her eyes. That was when I realized what was going on… It seemed that the Purple Guy had tricked the five kids into sneaking into the restaurant. And now he was hunting them down one by one, brutally murdering each of them for fun! I knew I had to stop the killer, but I wasn't confident enough to take him on by myself. So I went and got Freddy to help me."_

" _I wanted Freddy to follow me to go stop the killer. But Freddy was much more concerned for the helpless children. He was determined to save them and wouldn't rest until he did. It was pure chaos… I wanted to stop the killer once and for all and Freddy wanted to protect the children. We raced through the restaurant, but no matter where we looked, children corpses kept popping up. Freddy became more and more distraught, especially when he recognized the dead kids. During the confusion, Freddy and I ended up getting separated."_

" _While I was desperately trying to locate the killer, I managed to find all five kids. They were all dead. Not a single one of them could be saved. To make matters worse, I found Freddy again. The Purple Guy had already gotten to him. It looked like Freddy was trying to fight off the killer, but unfortunately lost the battle. Purple Guy was able to shut down Freddy's programming and render him helpless. After that, I had no choice but to flee to the safety of my music box. Even I knew it was hopeless."_

" _The next morning will be one I'll never forget. The five dead kids were discovered and their bodies removed from the restaurant grounds. Heart-broken from his failure to save the kids, Freddy's grief overwhelmed him. He wasn't the same after that. The once lovable and happy bear had turned into a mean and embittered one. Freddy blamed himself; he thought if he'd been a little stronger, he would have been able to save those children. Now he feels nothing but shame and misery. Freddy continues to entertain children to this day, but his heart just isn't in it anymore. And he's never come offstage for kids ever again. His relationship with children just isn't the same…"_

( **End Flashback** )

When the Puppet finished its tale, Katrina was left speechless. So that's why Freddy was so sad. He failed to save those kids and now he was suffering from a broken-heart. This whole time she'd assumed Freddy was nothing but an overbearing bear, but now she realized she'd been wrong. Now Katrina decided that she would do whatever it took to help Freddy.

" _As you probably already know, Freddy's attitude has gotten very bad_ ," the Puppet told her. _"I've tried talking to him, but all it does is lead to arguments. I believe that Freddy is not dealing with his emotions very well and insists on hiding it. This has led to many problems in the pizzeria. Although Freddy is still protective of children, he has distant himself and no longer bonds with them._ _"_

Katrina took this moment to gaze over at the Show Stage where she could see Freddy Fazbear with his microphone, standing around with a jolly grin. But it was a façade. This whole time Freddy had only been pretending to be cheerful when deep down inside, he was hurting. She turned back to the Puppet who had been watching her with its soft glowing pinprick eyes.

" _Come… There is something I would like to show you, Katrina. Let me show you the real Freddy Fazbear."_

The Puppet swept off the counter, and Katrina jumped aside when she saw to her astonishment the Puppet was floating ghost-like through the air. The little spirit inside the Puppet must be an awfully strong one. She watched with curiosity as the Puppet glided over to its music box and reached inside to fetch something. There she saw it pull out a stack of papers and then the Puppet handed them over to her.

" _Go ahead and tell me what you see in those drawings."_

Now Katrina went through the pictures and saw that it contained drawings of Freddy Fazbear done by many different children. Cute but nothing weird. She looked back up at the Puppet who now sat on top of its music box. "They look like normal drawings to me," Katrina said with a slight skeptical frown.

The Puppet gestured for her to take another look. " _Yes, but what do you "see" in those pictures?_ _"_

Looking closer, Katrina eventually spotted it. The one thing the drawings had in common was a happy Freddy Fazbear. A smiling Freddy hugging children, singing for them, playing games with them, celebrating birthdays, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter. These childish drawings were based on happier times. When Freddy Fazbear used to be so loving and kind. One look at these pictures, and Katrina knew she wanted to bring that happy bear back. But how? She started to give the drawings back to the Puppet but it held up a hand.

" _Keep them. I have a feeling that it'll help Freddy remember who he really is."_ The Puppet said this so mysteriously that it made Katrina stare. The Puppet seemed very intuitive about things so she couldn't help but trust it. However she did have one more question.

"You asked me earlier if I cared about Freddy. Why did you want to know that?" Katrina asked.

" _It's because I've been watching you, Katrina. And I saw Freddy come offstage and approach you of all kids. I couldn't help but notice the interaction between you two. It was like seeing the old Freddy again. I don't know what you did, but something about you brought Freddy out of his shell. I saw it as a sign…"_

Then the Puppet reached out and gently brushed aside Katrina's bangs from her face while smiling fondly. _"Katrina, I want you to help me. Will you help bring Freddy around? You seem like a strong girl who's capable of standing up for herself. If anybody can take on Freddy, it's you._ _"_

"I don't know…," Katrina said; she felt unsure about this. "Why me? What makes you think I'm the right girl? Besides, there are a lot of girls who come to the restaurant every day. How am I any different?"

" _Well now, I pride myself on being an excellent judge of character. And the way you handle Freddy is truly impressive. Now don't get the wrong idea about Freddy. He may act like a ferocious bear, but he's really a sweet teddy underneath. If anyone can bring that out, it's you Katrina. I believe in you. After all, I already have a feeling that Freddy has taken a liking to you as well._ _"_

"I think you're wrong, Puppet. Freddy doesn't like me. You saw what he was like just now." She felt unconfident. "I want to help Freddy, but I really don't know how. Every time I try getting close to him, he just pushes me away."

The Puppet leant in close and whispered conspiratorially to her ear. " _Freddy is very stubborn. However I just so happen to know his weakness. I know the best way for you to get his attention._ _"_ Katrina waited and the Puppet told her. " _Ignore him…"_ When Katrina stared confusingly, the Puppet explained further. " _Freddy is the star of the pizzeria, he's used to getting a lot of attention, especially from kids. If you want to teach Freddy a lesson, ignore him!_ _"_

The idea sounded way too simple. She already had doubts about it. "You're telling me to ignore Freddy? How will that help? What if it doesn't work?" But the Puppet was already starting to climb back inside its music box. "Hey wait! Don't go yet! I still don't know what you mean!"

Before disappearing back into its box, the Puppet smiled knowingly up at her. " _Ignore Freddy. I'll give you a hint on how to do it._ " The Puppet only had this to say. " _You're a very beautiful girl, Katrina."_

Katrina flashed the Puppet a funny look. "Huh? That wasn't a hint. Sounds more like a compliment."

The Puppet vanished inside its music box and the tune of My Grandfather's Clock began playing. Katrina stood there a couple of moments, and then decided she'd better head back to the Employee Lounge. But she couldn't get the Puppet's strange advice out of her head. What exactly did the Puppet mean? Something about ignoring Freddy and her being a pretty girl?

* * *

 **Whew… This was a very long chapter! It's really taken a lot out of me! Okay, we're just going to take a little break here. I want to give my readers the chance to go over the chapter to look for the usual FNAF clues, hints, innuendos, etc. I hope my readers are happy that they were able to finally figure stuff out in this big chapter. More updates are being prepared so be patient with me! Thanks for reading!**


	7. Katrina, lovely but lonely

The next morning, Katrina was able to leave the family restaurant before its opening time. As she was crossing the parking lot, something caught her eye. Near a lamppost, Katrina saw what appeared to be a little shrine with candles, dolls, and flowers. And then she realized what it was… So this was what Freddy had been staring out at last night in the arcade. Katrina gazed sadly down at the pictures of the murdered children before hurrying home.

Katrina hadn't forgotten the conversation she had with the Puppet. She also had been trying to figure out the Puppet's strange hints to her. " _Ignore Freddy."_ " _You're a very beautiful girl, Katrina_." She puzzled about this the whole way back to the foster home by Hollyhock Lane. Entering the house through the backdoor, Katrina quietly made her way up the stairs and tried to sneak into her bedroom. Unfortunately she wasn't fast enough and she ended up encountering Jackie Garvey who she shared a room with.

"So…you're back from your sleepover. That's twice in a row," Jackie remarked, she was eying Katrina curiously. "Who is this friend of yours anyway?" Jackie had just gotten dressed and her long chocolate-brown hair was neatly brushed. But like always, her bangs covered the right side of her face, obscuring it from view.

"Oh it's just somebody I met," Katrina explained innocently. "It's a really good friend." Freddy Fazbear suddenly flashed into her mind. It brought a smile to her lips, making Jackie stare at her in bewilderment.

The bathroom door opened, and both girls turned around to see that it was Tracy Somerset wearing her pink bathrobe. She frowned suspiciously when she spotted both Katrina and Jackie standing there. "Well, well, look who finally felt like showing her face," Tracy said nastily to Katrina. "Think you're too good for us? Is that why you're avoiding this place?"

Katrina threw the blond spectacled girl an irritated frown. She's always suspected that Tracy was secretly jealous of her. In any case, she didn't feel like starting a fight. "Don't be silly. I'm not trying to avoid anything. Excuse me, I have to go get changed," she said dismissively.

Jackie watched with amazement as Katrina calmly entered the bedroom, leaving an insulted Tracy behind. Lately she couldn't help but notice a change in Katrina Marlowe. No longer looking like a melancholy girl, she was talking again and getting out more often. And she did often wonder where Katrina went at night-time. Who was this unknown friend of hers? For the moment though, Jackie found herself also jealous of Katrina. Jealous of her strength…

In her bedroom, Katrina was looking at herself in the vanity mirror. She never noticed it before, but she was very beautiful. In the past, she'd always got compliments about her looks, but never really paid much attention to it until now. She'd been wearing a plain blue hoodie with matching black shorts, and her long honey-brown hair hadn't been brushed in so long. Then she remembered what the Puppet had said to her. Maybe she had it all backwards… " _You're a very beautiful girl, Katrina. Ignore Freddy…_ _"_ Katrina smiled at her reflection. She knew how to get Freddy Fazbear's attention.

Back at the restaurant, Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie and Chica were all happily singing to a little toddler girl who wouldn't stop laughing and clapping her hands in excitement. Bonnie and Chica were endearing to the child, but Freddy's heart just wasn't in it. He had another sleepless night filled with painful memories. And in those nightmares, he was always taunted by a shadowy figure that seemed to enjoy his torment. Once the party was over, Bonnie and Chica stepped offstage where delightful kids greeted them. Freddy stayed behind and gloomily watched his two friends play with children. He was starting to miss the old days…

Then someone caught the animatronic bear's robotic eye in the crowd… At first Freddy didn't recognize the girl, but his scanner identified her. It was Katrina Marlowe and she looked different. This time around, Katrina had changed her wardrobe. Now she wore a lovely lime-green tank top with matching olive-green Capri-pants, and white sandals. Her long honey-colored hair shined in the bright spotlights, making her all the more noticeable. But something about her had changed. Katrina carried herself with newfound confidence and her smile was positively radiant. Freddy found himself captivated at the sight of her, and then he realized it. Katrina wasn't pretty…she was beautiful.

" _Wow. Is that Katrina? She looks really nice today. I just love that tank-top! I wonder if there's a special occasion."_ Chica was overjoyed at the sight of Katrina. She started to head over to her table at once. " _I want to talk to her! Maybe she'll let me bring her some pizza too!_ "

Freddy watched as Katrina greeted Chica with that dazzling smile of hers and seemed to invite the animatronic chick into a conversation. Chica had never looked so happy when she got to serve Katrina. Although Freddy wondered what could possibly have happened to change Katrina like that. Why did she come to the restaurant dressed so nicely? He'd hope Katrina would approach the stage to see him like she always did, but for some reason she didn't seem interested. She wasn't even looking in his direction.

" _That's strange. She usually comes to the stage to talk to me. Why isn't she?"_ Freddy wondered to himself. Instead he had to watch as Katrina sat and ate some pepperoni pizza for lunch.

When Katrina was finished her meal, she pushed back her long hair over her shoulder while wiping her pink lips with a napkin. Freddy watched her every move and grew increasing fascinated by her. This was ridiculous, he was an animatronic. He was supposed to be entertaining children, not ogling girls. Despite scolding himself, Freddy still couldn't keep his eyes off of Katrina. Then Katrina got up from the table and began making her way over to the girls' bathroom. Freddy raised his hand and greeted her with a big hearty hello. But to his dismay, Katrina walked right by him and didn't look at him once.

" _Did she just ignore me? Why is she doing that? Is she mad at me?_ " It left Freddy stunned. No kid has ever rejected Freddy Fazbear before. So why didn't she want to talk to him?

Meanwhile over at Prize Corner, the Puppet was watching the whole thing from inside its music box and was secretly enjoying the show. _"That's right, Freddy. Take the bait…"_ The Puppet chuckles mischievously.

Later in the day, Freddy had the great honor of delivering a chocolate-strawberry cake to a birthday boy and singing happy birthday with the family. It was always a fun thing to do. But for some reason, Freddy felt way too distracted and restless. Whenever no one was looking, Freddy would turn his head and gaze over at the lovely girl who kept eluding him. Katrina had been hanging out with Bonnie for the longest time now. She and Bonnie were laughing and joking about something. Katrina looked so relaxed and carefree that Freddy couldn't stop staring. To top it off, it was starting to bother him that she wouldn't interact with him.

" _Is it something I've done? How come she doesn't want to play with me? Is Bonne her favorite character? She doesn't look like the type to like bunny rabbits. Wait…why am I thinking like this?_ " Freddy stubbornly cast these thoughts aside while returning to the Show Stage. There were other kids to keep him occupied.

Katrina saw Freddy Fazbear acting agitated and smirked triumphantly to herself. "I think the plan is working," she said out the corner of her mouth to Bonnie. "It's funny! He really can't stand having someone ignore him!"

"It's definitely one of his pet peeves," Bonnie agreed. "Freddy especially goes ballistic when someone ignores his commands. Foxy's the only one brave enough to do that! But as for me, I don't mind following Freddy's rules. After all, he does make a pretty good Fazbear."

"So what exactly are Freddy's rules?" Katrina asked while following Bonnie around the Dining Area.

"Well let's see…," Bonnie thought. "We have to act like real animatronics as you already know so that nobody becomes too suspicious about us. We must always be gentle around children and treat them with care. Most of all, some children are afraid of us so we never go near them. Most important of all, we steer children away from any danger in the restaurant."

At that exact moment, more girls came to steal Bonnie's attention away from her and Katrina smiled as the purple bunny was surrounded by pretty girls. "Must be nice to have so many girls adore you," Katrina said with a laugh. "You're a lucky bunny."

Then in a low voice that only Katrina could hear, Bonnie whispered down to her. "There's only one girl for me…" Bonnie gazed longingly over at Chica who was serving pizzas to a group of soccer players. All these years and he still saw the ghost of the beautiful girl inside her…

By afternoon, Freddy Fazbear found himself slowly going crazy. No matter what he did, Katrina Marlowe continued to ignore him. Celebrating two birthdays, singing five party songs for dancing kids, and even allowing kids to line up at the Show Stage to talk to him, but never once did Katrina give him the time of day. Not only that, but she seemed to prefer Bonnie's company. All the kids were playing musical chairs with Bonnie providing the music with his red guitar. Katrina loved to sit and watch all the fun.

" _Why is she spending so much time with Bonnie? I don't like it…I have to talk to her…"_ Freddy spotted Chica walking by the Show Stage with a waitress while delivering food. He immediately sent out a signal to her. " _Chica… Tell Katrina to come to the Show Stage._ "

" _I can't right now, Freddy. I'm busy helping the waitress deliver food. Besides, why do you want Katrina?_ " Chica responded.

" _I need to see her. Go fetch her for me,_ " Freddy ordered.

" _Sorry, Freddy. I have so much to do. Why don't you just come offstage and go get her yourself?_ " Chica suggested.

Freddy thought of doing exactly just that. But like always, something was holding him back. Was it fear? Just what was he so afraid of? Freddy looked around at all the laughing playful children and remembered the nightmares. Was he afraid for the children? No, he was being silly. He looked over at Katrina and again felt that need to go to her. The feeling was so strong that the animatronic bear seriously considered coming offstage to everyone's delight and approach the lovely Katrina like he once did before. But he kept hesitating…

" _Go on Freddy… Go to her. Stop being so afraid… You're braver than this. You want Katrina so go get her._ _"_ The Puppet watched Freddy from the Prize Corner and hoped its plan would work.

Unfortunately Freddy couldn't let go of his fear and stood firmly onstage. But in frustration, he tried to grab Katrina's attention from here but to no prevail. It only made him want Katrina more than ever. He saw the way Bonnie was making her laugh, and it made Freddy realize some things. He wanted to be the one to make her laugh, to make her smile, he wanted her to admire him, and most of all… he wanted her all to himself. Filled with determination, Freddy knew how he was going to win Katrina over. Because he was Freddy Fazbear, he's never failed to amaze kids before.

"Okay boys and girls! Gather around me cause I've got a hankering for a great song!" Freddy loudly announced to all the children in the Dining Area. "Let's get Bonnie and Chica to sing with us! Come join me my friends as we all celebrate the joy of family!"

As he hoped, the kids came rushing from Prize Corner and the Arcades just to watch him perform. Singing was Freddy's specialty and what he was most popular for. There wasn't a song he couldn't sing so well! This would be it. He would sing a special song dedicated to Katrina. Then she would know that he was sorry for all the times he'd been rude to her. Soon Bonnie and Chica joined him onstage and Freddy was finally ready to put on his best show yet. But there was only one small problem…

Katrina didn't appear quite as ecstatic as the other kids in the crowd; instead she slipped away from the large noisy crowd. And that was when Freddy saw her sneak away to Pirate Cove. This shocked Freddy to the core. She wasn't even going to stay and listen to him sing? How could she just walk away? But what infuriated him more was that she was going to Pirate Cove of all places. She would rather go see Foxy? It's not fair! Why did Foxy get all the girls? He was the mascot of the pizzeria! Freddy Fazbear was cheerful on the outside, but inside he was fuming with jealousy. How dare Katrina!

Entering Pirate Cove enabled Katrina to get away from all those happy families back there. She couldn't stand to be constantly reminded that her family was gone. She wiped at her eyes and was glad that she hadn't broken down crying. It was the last thing she wanted to do. At least the Pirate Cove was quiet and speaking of pirates… Katrina went over to the closed purple curtains and wondered if Foxy was asleep behind there.

"Hello, Foxy? It's me, Katrina." No answer.

Looking over her shoulder, she noticed the security camera in the corner over there. The restaurant had tight security around here, but from the looks of it, it didn't look like the camera was monitoring her at the moment. She carefully stepped through the purple curtains and made sure she was hidden from view. When she was sure nobody had seen her come back here, Katrina looked up in time to see the animatronic fox come to life and speak to her.

"Arrgh? Is dat ye Katrina? Must have dozed off again," Foxy took the moment to stretch his robotic limbs where the holes in his suit became more visible. "Tis it night-time already?"

"No, it's still day-time." Katrina had sat herself down with her arms wrapped around her knees. In the distance, she could hear cheering kids and the Fazbear gang singing. As always, it made her feel like she didn't really belong in the crowd. Not all those kids with their parents anyway…

"Why the long face, lass? Shouldn't ye be havin' fun wit all the other kids? No point in hangin' round' here. Fraid' I don' entertain kids like I used ter." Foxy's amber eyes studied Katrina curiously.

"It's alright. I thought I'd come visit you," Katrina explained. Then she added with a smug smile. "Besides, I've been ignoring Freddy all day. I don't think he's too happy about it."

Foxy smirked wryly down at her. "Arrgh har har har… The Cap'n gets mighty ticked when ye don' pay em' no mind. Bein' mascot has gone ter Freddy's head, he be likin all the attention he gets!"

"Well I definitely have his attention now." Katrina said gleefully. "At least maybe now Freddy will stop trying to drive me away." And hopefully she and Freddy could get past their differences and come to accept one other. But until then, she would keep Foxy company.

"It's sad to see Pirate Cove empty. I'll bet it used to be packed with kids," Katrina said while looking out at the abandoned attraction through the purple curtains. "So what was your role here at the pizzeria, Foxy?"

"Aye let me tell ye, those were the days!" Foxy exclaimed. He was glad of the chance to tell his tales. "Kids would come ter the Pirate Cove to play arcade games, play pirates, win treasures, and see me perform live onstage! I used ter sing shanties fer me hearties, tell em' stories about adventures at sea, and best of all, I'd challenge the toughest mateys to a sword-fight! The winner got to be me first-mate!"

Foxy went on to entertain Katrina by telling her stories of when he used to be a popular animatronic. Back then, Foxy came offstage and went to surprise kids at their birthday parties. Nothing gave kids a bigger laugh than to see Foxy come crashing the party with his wild personality and crazy antics. Sometimes kids could play tag with Foxy. The wily fox would race around the restaurant and whoever could tag him won prizes. And one time, the pirate fox led all the kids on a treasure hunt that ended with everyone winning free chocolate gold coins! That event was still talked about even to this day.

"Now look at me… I'm a washed up ol' sea dog," Foxy said sadly with his fox-ears drooping. He was gesturing at himself where Katrina could see the rips and tears in his animatronic suit. "Tis a shame I can't see kids anymore. I get so lonely back ere'. Sometimes I fear me fans have forgotten all bout' me."

"That's not true. A lot of kids remember you. They're still hoping you'll make a comeback," Katrina said soothingly to the pirate fox. "After all, nobody will ever forget the lovable characters here. Like for example… Bonnie is a cool rabbit who loves to party. Chica is the sweet darling chick who likes to play mother to the kids." Then suddenly Katrina sighed dreamily. "And Freddy Fazbear is the strong fearless leader who watches over everyone…"

"Sounds like ye got a thing fer the cap'n," Foxy noted.

Katrina quickly looked away so that her blushing red face couldn't be seen. "What? No way. It's not what you think. I'm just trying to help Freddy, it's not because I like him. I still think he's an uptight stiff."

But Foxy chuckled slyly down at her. "The cap'n is one lucky devil to have such a lovely lass like you. Shame yer not into pirates. But if ye ever change yer mind, ye can go on an adventure wit' me any day."

For the rest of the day, Katrina remained at Pirate Cove. The Fazbear gang sang their grand finale which ended with Freddy tipping his top-hat to the applauding crowd and thanking them all for coming and bidding them all a good night. Soon the customers started clearing out, and the staff moved in to start cleaning up the pizzeria and doing last minute chores. At approximately 9:00PM, the lights went off and the restaurant was officially closed for the night. The second his night-mode kicked in, Freddy opened his eyes and scowled furiously. He hadn't forgotten Katrina snubbing him from earlier.

Bonnie and Chica watched nervously as Freddy stormed offstage in a foul-temper. "Freddy wait! I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for this! Hey wait for us!" Bonnie called after Freddy. He and Chica hurried to follow the animatronic bear. This wasn't going to end very well. Freddy was heading straight for Pirate Cove in a fit of fury.

* * *

 **Hoo boy... This should be interesting in the next chapter. A lot of funny moments I threw into this chapter just to amuse the readers. Now you're all dying to see how Freddy is going to take this. I'll get the next chapter up as quickly as I can. One last thing, some of you have probably noticed that my character, Katrina Marlowe, appears to be hiding secrets of her own, which will get revealed later. Don't worry, any questions the readers have will eventually get read. Thanks for reading so far!**


	8. When shadows attack

**Ok, before we begin I think I better clear a few things. In my story, the animatronics are not actually alive. The ghost children are the ones giving them life and are living through them, despite it being a rather hollow existence at times. That's how I see it, and not everyone has to roll with it, I understand. Anyway, I thought I owed it to my readers to explain it. If anyone else has questions, please let me know! This should prove to be an interesting chapter, I won't say anymore. Happy reading!**

* * *

At Pirate Cove, Katrina and Foxy were still engaged in conversation together. When the restaurant closed and the lights went off, she couldn't help but catch a glimpse of the one they called Golden Freddy. She hasn't had a chance to get to know that one. Golden Freddy was always locked away in the parts & service room which was off-limits to customers. But come night-time, Katrina had the funny feeling that Golden was secretly watching her from the shadows. But no matter how many times she tried to approach him, Golden Freddy would vanish from her eyes and she wouldn't be able to find him.

"What's the deal with Golden Freddy?" Katrina finally asked Foxy. "Why is he always disappearing like that? He doesn't seem like the rest of you."

"Oh aye, that Golden Freddy be a weird matey all righ', but he not bad," Foxy explained. "Ter be honest, that golden scallywag sometimes likes to come in ere' jus' to pester me when he gets bored. But other than that, ol' Golden is part of our family."

Katrina took the moment to ponder about that. And then Foxy had a sudden question for her. "Speakin' of families, where's yers, Katrina? Don' ye have any family members that likes ter to come ere' fer fun?"

"No I don't," Katrina said quietly. But there was no mistaking the hollowness of her voice. She doesn't like talking about her family, Foxy realized. Was this beautiful girl truly alone?

"That be a darn shame. Yer family should spend more time with ye. A lovely lass like ye doesn't deserve ter be alone. Not ter worry though, here at Freddy Fazbear's, we look out fer each other. We teach children the important lessons of family!" Foxy told her gently.

Katrina felt moved by the pirate fox's attempts to cheer her up that the two of them exchanged smiles. Without warning, the purple curtains flung open and there stood an enraged Freddy Fazbear. Katrina became startled at once and stared up at the animatronic bear in surprise. Freddy was glowering at the both of them, and she hadn't expected for him to come seek her out like this. She could see that she's really gone and made him mad now.

"Ahoy Freddy! Nice of ye ter come visit. So uh…what did ye want?" Foxy asked awkwardly. Freddy shot daggers at the pirate fox with his eyes.

There was a loud clobbering noise coming from Pirate Cove. The next thing, Freddy was angrily marching out with a protesting Katrina hanging over his shoulder. Bonnie and Chica quickly stepped out of the way as Freddy walked by with Katrina in his grasp. They then looked over to see Foxy staggering out of Pirate Cove, rubbing his sore head and looking dazed. Ignoring the stares from the others, Freddy proceeded to carry Katrina away and entered the kitchen where they could have a little privacy. Katrina fought him the whole way, but now Freddy gently dropped her onto the ground where she glared up at him in outrage.

"Ugh! What "is" your problem? Why'd you have to go do that for? Have you got a few loose wires in that thick robotic skull of yours?" Katrina railed out at him.

"If anybody's got a right to be angry, it's me! I don't know what kind of game you're playing here, but it ends now!" Freddy snapped. "Just what do you think you were doing?"

"Ignoring you…," Katrina replied in defiance while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Don't give me that! You've got a lot of explaining to do! Now out with it, why did you go to Pirate Cove?" Freddy demanded.

This caught Katrina totally by surprise. Why would he want to know something like that? "What did you say?" she said blankly.

"You walked out on my performance and went straight to Pirate Cove! I wanna know why!" Freddy frowned suspiciously down at her. "Is that why you got all dolled-up today? It was Foxy you wanted to look nice for, is that it? Answer me!"

Then it dawned on Katrina; she knew what this was really all about. A smile slowly spread on her face. "Are you jealous?" she asked Freddy. As she suspected, Freddy became more flustered than ever. Despite his irritation with her, Katrina sensed that Freddy was also hurt that she skipped out on his show like that. She didn't mean to hurt his feelings. But before she had a chance to apologize, Freddy was shouting at her again.

"You've been distracting me all day. I can't have you come here and cause me trouble. In fact, you shouldn't be spending all your time here at the restaurant. You should be home with your family." Freddy lectured her.

Instead Katrina looked away and stared unseeingly over at the big oven used to cook the pizzas. She didn't like where this conversation was going. "Look, I'm sorry about missing your show, okay?"

But Freddy wouldn't hear of it. In his anger, he now stood to his fullest height and looked sternly down at her. "I'm sorry… I'm afraid you can't stay. You'll have to leave. It's for your own good…"

With that, Freddy turned and started heading for the kitchen door. It left Katrina reeling in shock. She was being kicked out? Freddy couldn't do that to her! Out of desperation, Katrina hurried after Freddy and grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. She had promised the puppet that she would try to help Freddy, so nothing was going to stop her.

"Don't send me away! I'm sorry for ignoring you. It won't happen again," Katrina pleaded with Freddy. "Please let me stay. I can help you! Just give me a chance!"

"No! This time I'm putting my foot down." Freddy remained adamant. "A girl like you shouldn't be around the restaurant after-hours. It's not safe. You need to leave now. I don't want anything bad happening to you. I won't go through that again…"

Finally Katrina decided she had enough. "I know the truth," she blurted out. "I know who you really are. And I know the truth about the Butcher Night incident."

This time when Freddy turned to look at her, his expression became dark. "You don't know anything."

"Yes I do!" Katrina insisted. "I know about the five children who got murdered that night. You were there. You tried to save them. I understand why you feel guilty, but it's not your fault."

"Enough!" Freddy snapped. "You could never understand the pain I've had to live with! Those five kids worshipped and trusted me, and I've failed them! I couldn't stop the killer! And now I spend the rest of my days entertaining other kids, but it's not the same. All kids love me and treat me like I'm a hero. Well I'm no hero! I'm a failure! Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve to be the mascot!"

Freddy looked down and saw that Katrina still held him by the arm. He didn't want her pity. "It doesn't matter anymore. I only do what's expected of me. I make children happy and keep them out of harm's way. That's it. This is why I want you out of here."

With that Freddy brushed her off, leaving Katrina in tears because she felt so rejected by him. She refused to give up. She was determined to make this animatronic bear see the error of his ways. "Are you listening to yourself? This isn't the real you!"

When she saw Freddy was listening, she continued. "Whatever happened to the old Freddy Fazbear? The one who wanted to be your friend? The one who wanted to have fun? The one who could make you laugh? You used to be so jolly and lovable; you wanted to play with kids because you enjoyed doing it. Where's that Freddy Fazbear?"

"That Freddy Fazbear is gone." Freddy said sharply. "I was weak. I wasn't strong enough to stop the killer. So I've decided I don't want to cuddle kids anymore. All it does it soften you and make you vulnerable! I am the leader of this place and I need to be strong! I can't afford any distractions!"

"How can you say that? Katrina fought to stay in control of her emotions, but inside her heart was breaking. Without warning, she lashed out at Freddy. "You're a phony!" she accused him. "You've only been pretending to care about kids! All this time you've been lying! You're not Freddy Fazbear; you're just a wishy-washy machine who's forgotten what it truly means to be a childhood hero!"

"Just go…," Freddy said solemnly. "Leave this place and never return."

Freddy saw that his words had totally crushed Katrina. He watched with a heavy heart as the beautiful girl pushed past him and ran out of the kitchen. The second he saw her go, Freddy was already starting to have regrets. That didn't go very well. In fact, he only made things worse. Freddy stood alone in the dark kitchen and wondered why he didn't feel any better. Was he trying to protect Katrina or himself? The truth was he was a coward. Ever since the tragic incident, Freddy had been punishing himself. He was the problem... Now Freddy slapped a hand over his forehead in shame upon realizing the damage he just caused.

"What have I done?" Freddy muttered guiltily to himself.

Katrina ran out of the kitchen in tears and wanted to put as much distance as she could between herself and that heartless bear. She thought she heard Bonnie calling after her, but instead she ignored him. She wanted to be alone and so she ducked into the girls' bathroom. Once in there, Katrina locked the door behind her and leant up against it while sinking down to her knees. She refused to cry, she still had some self-respect. But still, it actually hurt to hear Freddy say those mean things.

Maybe this was all a big mistake. She should never have involved herself with Freddy or any of the animatronics here. Perhaps there was some truth to never letting yourself get too close to people. After all, they'll only end up leaving you in the end when you least expect it. Katrina tried not to think about her own parents. Things were bad enough as it were…

There was a little knock at the door. "Katrina? It's me, Chica. Are you okay? We heard you and Freddy fighting in the kitchen. What did that bossy boar say to you? Want to tell me about it?"

"I really don't want to talk right now. Just go away, Chica," Katrina said sullenly. She didn't mean to sound rude, but she needed to be alone right now. She was dealing with way too many turbulent emotions. Not to mention, she would soon have to leave this place.

On the other side of the door, Chica hung her head and sadly sighed. She was disappointed; she really wanted to console Katrina. It was times like this that her protective instincts really kicked in. Bonnie placed a comforting hand on Chica's shoulder and brought her closer to him. "Don't worry. Just give her some time, Chica. Katrina needs time to cool off. We can check up on her later," he said soothingly.

Chica gave the restroom door one last gloomy look before allowing Bonnie to take her hand and guide her away. But she was feeling angry and decided to go confront the animatronic bear herself. There was no way she was letting Freddy get away with this. Bonnie hurried to keep up while Chica quicken her pace and went looking for Freddy in the restaurant. It was time to give that grouchy bear a piece of her mind.

Katrina sat there in the dark bathroom with cynical thoughts going through her mind. She would stay here all night if she had to. It was late and she didn't feel like riding her bike back. Who does Freddy think he is? He had no right to tell her to leave the pizzeria! Despite her frustrations with him, she couldn't help but remember seeing the deep hurt in Freddy's blue eyes when he talked about those five kids. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Freddy can't send me away," Katrina told herself stubbornly. "I promised I would help him. I don't care if it gets me into trouble; he's not getting rid of me that easily." But for now, she would wait for Freddy to cool off. Their latest argument had really gotten ugly.

Katrina didn't know how long she sat there with hands resting on her lap, but a sudden noise made her look up in alarm. She heard a suspicious noise. Feeling her heart pound, Katrina's eyes traveled around the bathroom, looking over at the empty stalls, then at the dripping two faucets for customer and employee use, and finally at the darkest corner where she saw nothing but pitch blackness. The creepy sounds continued and they seemed to be getting louder. And then Katrina realized what it was… heavy breathing. She had gone and locked herself in the bathroom with someone or something.

Katrina fought to stay calm and not scream. Whatever it was, she didn't want to startle it. "Hello? Is somebody there?" She anxiously waited for a reply. And from the darkest corner, she heard it. There was something here with her.

" _ **Hello… I didn't expect to find someone else in here…**_ "

There was something eerie about the voice, the kind that made your hair stand on end. Katrina was certainly unnerved by it, but she tried not to lose her courage. "Who are you? Are you an animatronic?" she asked in a trembling voice.

" _ **I've been here for a very long time. I live in the shadows…**_ "

Katrina tried adjusting her eyes to the dark in the hopes of seeing what was talking to her. Whatever it was could blend in so well with the darkness that she was unable see it. The voice spoke from across the bathroom, hiding in the darkest corner. Katrina climbed to her feet and started to reach out to switch on the bathroom light in order to see better, but the chilly voice suddenly rang out to her.

" _ **Stop! Leave it. I hate the light.**_ "

"Oh I'm sorry." Katrina stepped away from the light-switch. "What are you doing in here anyway? How come I've never seen you around the restaurant before?"

" _ **Like I said, I prefer the dark.**_ " Then the hidden figure chuckled darkly. " _ **What's a little girl like you doing here at night-time? You appear to be troubled, is something wrong?**_ "

Katrina frowned and found herself liking this strange figure less and less. The voice was cold and sounded male. She didn't trust it. "Nothing's wrong. Now if you don't mind, I'd rather be alone."

If she thought the hidden figure would leave, she was sorely mistaken. Over at the dark corner, she could feel the chill of the voice speaking to her again. " _ **I understand. Freddy has really gone and done it this time, hasn't he? Saying all those horrible things to you with no consideration for your feelings?**_ " Katrina stared in shock, and the dark figure seemed to enjoy seeing her discomfort. " _ **Poor girl… You fear that it was all for nothing. Freddy Fazbear has always been difficult to deal with**_."

"How do you know him?" she asked uneasily. Katrina felt spooked by how much this mysterious figure knew. It was almost like it could read her mind.

" _ **I know all about Freddy. I've seen the darkness in his heart. He's known nothing but pain and suffering. And now he's become nothing more than a cynical old bear.**_ " And then the voice turned nasty. " _ **You're wasting your time if you think you can help Freddy. He cares for nobody but himself.**_ "

But Katrina refused to back down. "I don't know who you are, but I don't believe you! You're not going to scare me away! I'm Freddy's friend and I want to help him. So why don't you back off?"

This was a big mistake. The temperature in the bathroom suddenly got a lot colder and darker. Katrina wrapped her arms around herself to keep from shivering and looked around fearfully. What was happening? Sensing her fear, the dark figure finally moved from its dark corner. It seemed that she'd angered the hidden figure because it was approaching her. The next thing she saw were two creepy glowing eyes glaring right at her from the darkness itself. Followed by an evil toothy grin.

" _ **You're braver than I thought. But I've seen into your heart as well. I know what your fears are. Is it me you fear? No…perhaps it is abandonment you fear. Or maybe…**_ " The voice turned ominous and Katrina's heart raced. " _ **You fear the truth. You know what really happened to your parents.**_ "

"Please don't…," Katrina's voice came out weak. She couldn't move, the darkness seem to paralyze her. To her horror, she realized that this frightening being was holding her prisoner. And it wasn't going to let her go. There was no way she could cry out for help.

The dark figure laughed at Katrina's attempts to struggle. " _ **Don't bother fighting it. Fear is a powerful emotion. You shouldn't be here at night, little girl, there are many hidden dangers in the restaurant. I've seen all kinds of darkness…**_ "

"Freddy…" Katrina whispered fearfully into those cold eyes and evil leer.

" _ **You should stay away from Freddy Fazbear if you know what's good for you, girl. This is a warning. But just for fun… what does your nightmares look like?**_ " Katrina stared hypnotized into those soul-piercing eyes.

Meanwhile at the Dining Area, Freddy and Chica were locked in a big argument. After giving Freddy a good slap to the forehead, Chica gave the animatronic bear a good scolding of her own. "What you did back there was unforgivable! All Katrina ever did was try to become friends with you! What is the matter with you?"

"I've already told you before, I didn't mean to hurt her. I just lost my temper, ok?" Freddy grumbled while rubbing the spot where Chica slapped him. "Besides, it would be in the girl's best interest to leave the restaurant. She doesn't belong here."

"You see? That attitude of yours is exactly what I'm talking about!" Chica said impatiently. "Katrina is a lonely girl who's looking for a friend. Instead on making her happy, you send her packing? You call yourself Freddy Fazbear? This is low, even for you!"

But Freddy turned his back on Chica and didn't want to listen to any more of this. "I don't have to explain myself to you. I'm only trying to do what I think is right. Now if you'll excuse me…"

Chica only shook her head and felt as if she wasted her breath. Freddy Fazbear, stubborn as an ox. "I really admire Katrina, she has the patience of a saint. Wish I could say the same for myself. And another thing, you really should apologize to Foxy! He didn't deserve that bonk on the head! Are you listening to me, Freddy?"

Ignoring Chica, Freddy went over and found Katrina's backpack and planned on giving it back to her. And then he would make her leave the restaurant. And yet it tore at his conscience. He wondered if he could even make himself to do it. Thinking back to the day he first came offstage and met Katrina Marlowe, things haven't been the same. After all this time, he'd failed to see how special Katrina was. She managed to accomplish the one thing that not even the Puppet could do, she made him want to open his heart again. And yet here he was, about to send that lovely girl away, never to return ever again.

As Freddy picked up Katrina's backpack, papers suddenly came dropping out of it and went scattering onto the floor. When Freddy bent down to pick them up, he immediately saw that they were drawings. Kid drawings of him. He thought he gotten rid of them all, but here they were before him. And just like that, the tender memories returned to him. One drawing depicted a young girl who aspired to be a singer, singing with her inspiration Freddy Fazbear. The second drawing showed a terminally-sick boy whose last wish was to meet his children hero, Freddy Fazbear. Another drawing had twins being equally loved by Freddy Fazbear. One drawing after another showed countless children he had made happy over the years.

At that moment, it was like getting a wake-up call. This whole time Freddy had been feeling sorry for himself that he'd forgotten who he was. He was Freddy Fazbear… He was supposed to bring joy and laughter to the hearts of all children, but instead he became uncaring and selfish. He didn't want to go down this dark path anymore… This was not how he wanted to live. Looking at these treasured drawings of him, he held it up to his heart, and Freddy finally broke down weeping. All the emotions he kept bottled up for a long time came pouring out of him before he could stop it.

A sudden scream of terror echoed throughout the pizzeria, causing Freddy to drop the kid drawings in alarm. That sounded like Katrina! Was she in trouble? Without wasting a second, the animatronic bear sprang into action and moved as fast as he could toward the direction of the restrooms. The others heard the scream too, he was quickly joined by Bonnie, Chica and Foxy who were looking just as worried as he was.

"Come on, hurry everyone! It's Katrina! I think she's in trouble! Follow me!" Freddy commanded. Along the way, Freddy prayed that Katrina was okay. If anything bad happened to her, he would never be able to forgive himself. Because he only realized just now how much she meant to him…

* * *

 **Okay my little FNAF readers, now that the scary part is over, this now begs the question. Who attacked Katrina? I did mention earlier that there would be villains in the story, the most obvious one being the Purple Guy. But what other evil lurks in the restaurant? I promise I'll get the next chapter up soon and hopefully this dark mystery will get solved...or not. Thanks for loyally reading so far!**


	9. Mysteries of a hidden enemy

Freddy and friends hurried as fast as they could toward the restrooms where they'd heard Katrina Marlowe scream out in terror. It sounded like something may have attacked her. Freddy led the way there. He tried to stay calm but his biggest fear was that once again he would fail to save another kid. He didn't want to lose Katrina too… They've reached the restrooms at last and Freddy reached for the door handle. To his dismay, the door had been locked from the inside and there was no way he'd be able to open it from out here.

"Katrina! Open the door! Please let us in! We can help you! Katrina? Let us in now!" Freddy pounded on the door and tried the knob many times, but was unable to get it open. By now, he was truly starting to panic. He had to get to Katrina and fast.

"It's no good, Cap'n! The door won' budge. Did ye think me can jimmy the lock wit' me hook?" Foxy offered while also trying the door knob with his silver hook.

"That won't work! Your hook is too big for the keyhole!" Bonnie cried. "And we can't use a key! Isn't there any other way to open the door?"

Meanwhile Freddy was still pounding on the door and desperately calling out to Katrina. Hearing all the loud commotion and alarmed voices brought Golden Freddy to the scene. "Thank god you're here, Golden! Quick! Katrina is trapped in the bathroom! Go through the wall and tried unlocking the door from the inside! Hurry now!" Freddy shouted.

Golden quickly turned and tried using his supernatural abilities to gain entrance into the bathroom. But for some unexplainable reason, it felt like there was some invisible force preventing him from doing so. "I…I can't. There's something in there and it's keeping me out," Golden whispered.

"How is that possible? What is in there?" Chica cried. She too frantically was knocking on the door and tried looking through the keyhole. "Please Katrina! You need to stay strong! Open the door and let us in! We're here for you! Are you in there?"

Suddenly there was another scream from inside, and that was when Freddy decided he had enough. "Forget this! Step aside Foxy!" With that, Freddy lowered his shoulder and began ramming into the bathroom door over and over with determination.

"No Freddy, don't! You'll seriously damage yourself!" Chica protested.

But Freddy ignored her and continued to use his animatronic body as a battering ram. After slamming himself into the door a good five times, finally the lock broke off and he immediately entered the bathroom at once. It was pitch black inside but Freddy was able to use the light from his robotic blue eyes to see his surroundings better. And the first thing he saw was Katrina lying motionless on the tiled floor.

"Katrina! No!" Freddy felt pure fear when he knelt down beside her. "Don't be dead. Please don't be dead! Please be alive!" With his hands shaking, Freddy placed his paw onto Katrina's chest and was able to breathe a sigh of relief when he felt a heartbeat. She was alive… He got to her in time.

"Noooo! Katrina! Is she dead? What happened to her?" Chica became so hysterical that she had to be held back by Bonnie. She couldn't take her teary eyes off of poor Katrina who was sprawled out on the floor like a corpse. She instinctively buried her head into Bonnie's shoulder for comfort.

"It's okay, Chica. Katrina's not dead," Freddy said soothingly. "She's alright. I think she only fainted." Freddy managed to sound calm but inside he was shaken up. For a moment there, he thought he lost her. He was still concerned for Katrina. "We have to get her to safety. I'm taking her away from here."

With that, Freddy carefully lifted the unconscious girl as though she weighted no more than a feather and gently carried her away in his arms. His friends followed him out of the girls' bathroom and Freddy took Katrina straight to the Employee Lounge. There he lowered her down onto the soft couch where he knew she'd be safe. Katrina didn't appear to be hurt in any way; it looked like she'd been knocked out. Now Freddy turned to face his friends and saw that they all held the exact same grave expression as him.

"What happened at the girls' bathroom? I heard Katrina scream but…," Bonnie said slowly. "Do you think there was someone else in there with her?"

"Are ye sayin' dat someone or somethin' attacked her?" Foxy growled. "I don' believe it! When I find the low-down scum who attacked Katrina, I'll force em' to walk the plank and into shark-infested waters!"

But Chica looked worried the most. "Katrina didn't have any bruises when we found her. She sounded really scared when she screamed. Do you… Do you think "he" came back to the restaurant?" They all knew exactly who she was referring to.

"No way. I don't think so," Bonnie said doubtfully. "If he came back, we would've known." Bonnie smiled reassuringly to the animatronic chick. "No need to worry, Chica, I don't believe he's returned to the restaurant."

"Well if it ain't "him," then who?" Foxy wanted to know.

And then a quiet shy voice spoke out from the doorway. "I think he disappeared…" All heads turned to see Golden Freddy standing there, silently observing them all with his empty black eyes. "He was there…but he's gone now. He's no longer at the restrooms."

Bonnie, Chica and Foxy exchanged uneasy looks with one other. It could only mean that there was something lurking in the pizzeria. An entity so dangerous and scary that it nearly frightened Katrina to death. But nobody was more concerned than Freddy Fazbear who remained silent the whole time, listening closely to what the others were saying. If there was an unseen enemy here, they had to find it. Before it got the idea to attack other kids…

Looking down upon Katrina's sleeping face, Freddy turned to his friends. "Bonnie and Foxy, I want you to check both bathrooms. Report back to me if you see anything suspicious. Golden, I need you to search the entire restaurant and try to locate the assailant. If he's still here, he has to be hiding somewhere. Get going, all of you!"

"Be careful you guys," Chica said, watching as Bonnie and Foxy exited the Employee Lounge together and Golden disappeared from sight. Once they left, she turned to see Freddy return to the couch and kneeled down beside it which brought him closer to Katrina. "What are you going to do?" Chica asked.

"What I should have done before…," Freddy replied softly. "I'm going to be here for her…" Because for Freddy Fazbear, he finally had a change of heart. He almost failed Katrina, but never again. And Chica noticed the way the animatronic bear stayed vigilantly by Katrina's side. It was a comforting sight to see.

Half an hour later, Freddy continued to keep an eye on Katrina. She slept for so long, but what bothered him was seeing her expression. It looked like she was having haunting dreams. Freddy hoped she was alright. He looked up when Bonnie and Foxy finally returned from their mission. Judging by their puzzled expressions, they didn't find what they were looking for.

"Jus' searched the restrooms, Cap'n. We didn't see anything suspicious. Whoever attacked Katrina got away. No worries though, I'll hunt em' down!" Foxy declared.

"Take it easy, Foxy." Freddy turned expectantly to Bonnie. "You've checked both bathrooms?"

"Yes," Bonnie nodded. "It's like Foxy said, we couldn't find anything. There was nothing out of the ordinary around the area. Except for you know…the off-limits place."

Freddy knew what they meant. Now he looked at Katrina and really started to worry. The culprit hadn't been caught. Katrina wasn't alone in that bathroom; someone had been in there with her. But who? It made him uneasy to know that there was a hidden enemy around here. And then Golden finally showed up to give his report.

"I searched everywhere, Freddy. No trace of an intruder." Golden Freddy informed him.

After doing some careful thinking, Freddy decided to do some investigating of his own. "You two stay here with Katrina," Freddy told Bonnie and Foxy. "I'll be right back. There's something I need to check."

Freddy headed back to the restrooms where the incident took place. However instead on entering the bathrooms, Freddy was much more interested of a certain area. All the animatronics had the map of the restaurant in their program. They could go anywhere they liked. Except for one place… Freddy stared and stared, but as expected, he couldn't come any closer to the place. It was strange. No matter how hard he tried, "ERROR" kept popping up before him. What was back there?

"You can't go there…" Freddy turned around and saw that Golden Freddy had followed him. The golden bear was also staring transfixed at the unknown area. "Puppet said it's dangerous. Said we shouldn't go anywhere near there."

"I take it that the Puppet didn't give a reason?" Freddy said dryly. He sometimes questioned the Puppet's motives. He couldn't decide if the Puppet was truly an ally or not. But even Freddy had to admit that so far, the Puppet hadn't steered them wrong before. With a sigh, Freddy decided that there was nothing else to see here and turned to leave.

Golden Freddy watched the brown bear make his way back to the Employee Lounge. Once Freddy was out of sight, Golden decided to head back to the Puppet. Golden was much more trusting toward the Puppet and had struck a close friendship with it. As promised he was going to assure the Puppet that Katrina wasn't hurt. And that Freddy Fazbear was his old self again… Returning to the Employee Lounge, he dismissed Bonnie and Foxy. Then Freddy approached the couch where he was just in time to see Katrina finally wake up after sleeping for so long. She blinked her eyes open and appeared dazed for a moment, but then sat up with a look of fear.

"Where am I?" Katrina cried. The poor girl was so emotionally distressed that Freddy quickly reached out to calm her. She was close to tears and talking in hysterics. Freddy held onto her arm and refused to let her go.

"It's okay! You're safe now. There's nothing to be afraid of. You're in the pizzeria, don't you remember?" Freddy tried telling her soothingly. Getting down on one knee, Freddy was able to see her face-to-face. "Are you alright? We heard you scream. What happened?"

"Didn't you see "him"? It was awful. He enjoyed scaring me. I begged him to stop but he wouldn't!" Katrina whimpered. She was shaking from head to toe and looking positively traumatized.

"Who did this to you? What did he look like?" Freddy demanded. He wouldn't rest until he found the villain who attacked Katrina. He would never let anything bad happen to her ever again.

"I…I don't know. I couldn't see him. He likes hiding in the dark. I don't know who he was…" Katrina said in a shaky voice. She remembered the uncomfortable conversation she had with that thing. The mysterious figure had warned her to stay away from Freddy Fazbear.

"Don't worry about it. Whoever frightened you like that is gone now. I'll personally make sure it never comes back again. As long as I'm here, you'll always be safe, Katrina," Freddy told her warmly.

Katrina stared up at the animatronic bear and couldn't help noticing a change in him. No longer distancing himself or acting aloof, now his blue eyes were twinkling compassionately, and his smile appeared genuine. She was seeing a whole new side to Freddy Fazbear, the same one she'd seen in the kids' drawings. Katrina remembered their argument in the kitchen before she got scared out of her wits. Feeling her anger coming back, she stubbornly pushed him away from her.

"Why would you care? You're only going to make me leave. You don't want me around anymore," Katrina grumbled while wrapping her arms around her knees while sitting on the couch. The truth was she was still scared. Being angry was the best distraction for her.

Freddy felt guilty all over again when he saw how disappointed she was in him. He didn't blame her. He'd given her every reason to doubt his good intentions. It was time to make this right. Time to show her the real Freddy Fazbear. "You were right about me," he admitted to her."

Katrina looked up at him and Freddy could tell that she was trying to hide her surprise at this. "Look, I'm not going to send you away. Actually I've been thinking about what you said, and you're right. But you have to understand how I really feel…" Freddy sadly lowered his head and finally told her the truth. "My problem is that I love kids too much… When those five kids died… I thought it was my fault. I was afraid that I was getting too soft. I wanted to be strong so I closed my heart."

Freddy looked down at Katrina and saw that she was listening to his every word. "But I didn't realize what I was turning into. I pushed all my loved ones away and the darkness in me just grew. My behavior only got worse, and I kept trying to convince myself it was for the best. But now I know better… Shutting my friends out wasn't helping me or making me stronger. And I can't turn my back on children; it's not who I am."

It made Freddy feel better to at long last talk about his feelings with someone. Now he gazed upon Katrina, this amazing girl who never gave up on him. "I was wrong. I'm so sorry Katrina." Now he held out his paw to her. "I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive me. Can we start over? Do you still want to be my friend?"

Katrina felt deeply moved by his sincere apology. She stared at his offered hand and felt tempted to accept it. But she needed to know that he was for real this time. Seeing the uncertainty on her face, Freddy understood that he needed to win her over first. It was time to do what he did best. "Want to see something interesting?" he asked her.

Again Freddy held out his big paw to her. "Give me your hand." With curiosity in her eyes, Katrina reached out and finally placed her hand in his. "Reach up here and press gently," Freddy instructed her. There he guided her hand up to his nose where Katrina heard a loud (honk!) like a party horn when she pressed his big black nose. It was a funny sound and it made her laugh.

"I used to get a sore nose because kids loved honking it," Freddy chuckled. "Want to see something else?" Next Freddy took her hand and placed it where his heart would be. "Press this spot and see what happens," he told her. When Katrina pressed down on it, the music box rendition of Toreador's March started playing. The cheery melody filled the entire room with its song.

"Wow, that's amazing," Katrina said impressed. Then she looked up at him. "The music box is inside your heart?"

"Yes. Whenever I hug kids to my heart, I'd treat them to a calming little jingle." Freddy's smile deepens as more fond memories flashed through his mind. "Kids used to line up for the famous Fazbear hug. I haven't hugged a kid in a very long time. I really miss it…"

Hearing his sad words, Katrina reached out and snuggled her head comfortably on the animatronic bear's chest. She closed her eyes and with a smile allowed the warmth to envelope her, making her feel safe for the first time. Freddy gazed down upon the girl and could no longer deny his feelings toward her. He wrapped his arms around Katrina and gave her her first Fazbear hug. And just like that, she'd come to forgive him. Freddy cuddled the beautiful girl affectionately and realized that he was no longer afraid. His depression was over and now he was ready to recover.

"Thanks Katrina," Freddy said gratefully. He gently released her, only to wince from the soreness in his left shoulder. Katrina noticed this.

"Freddy…your shoulder. What happened to it?" Katrina asked, eying the animatronic bear in concern.

"Well you kinda locked the bathroom door, so I had to break the lock off," Freddy explained sheepishly. "It's okay though, it doesn't hurt. The staff here probably won't notice, and even if they did, they could easily fix it."

Katrina examined the damage done to Freddy's shoulder and felt a little guilty. But it also made her realize how much Freddy cared. He'd been so determined to help her that he practically broke down the door. After all her efforts to get the brown bear to open up to her, she finally succeeded. Sudden whispering voices from the door caught Katrina's attention. Freddy heard them too and went over to investigate. Yanking the door open revealed Bonnie, Chica, Foxy and Golden Freddy standing around, spying and eavesdropping on them.

"Yikes! Time ter weigh anchor, mateys!" Foxy hollered to the others. All the animatronics immediately started to scatter.

"I swear, you guys," Freddy shook his head nonsensically. Once his friends left, Freddy turned back to Katrina and became serious. "We've all had enough excitement for one night. I want you to stay in here where it's safe. Whatever attacked you managed to get away. I don't want you going anywhere alone in this restaurant, especially at night-time."

"You're the boss," Katrina teased. She looked up at the clock hanging on the wall and saw that it read 1:00AM. "Anyway, I'd better get to bed. I'll leave in the morning before the restaurant opens." She went over to her backpack and pulled out her pillow.

Freddy was silent. "Will you come back?" he quietly asked her.

Katrina looked over and saw that Freddy looked worried. "Only if you want me to." But she couldn't hide her smile. Freddy wanted to see her again. Freddy returned the smile which said it all.

"I'll come to check up on you later. Sleep well, Katrina." Freddy turned to leave the Employee Lounge. He was feeling better than he had in weeks. Now that he knew Katrina was safe, he could focus on trying to locate the unknown assailant. He wanted to make sure that this never happened again.

Hours later, at precisely 3:00AM, Katrina Marlowe was fast asleep on the couch at the Employee Lounge. Freddy, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy had patrolled the restaurant all night, but there were no other incidents. They never found out who terrorized Katrina in the girls' bathroom. It was still a concerning matter. When the other animatronics went back to their proper places, Golden Freddy waited until the coast was clear before emerging from his hiding place and teleporting straight to Prize Corner.

The Puppet had been expecting him. After hearing of what happened to Katrina, the Puppet had had some troubling suspicions. If its hunch was right, then the ghost children might be in danger. Luckily Golden Freddy had been a big help, providing the Puppet with inside information about the goings-on in the pizzeria. And now the Puppet rose out of its music box and looked to Golden Freddy expectantly for the latest news.

"Freddy and others couldn't find the culprit," Golden reported. Similar to the Puppet, two white pinprick eyes loomed large in his empty eye-sockets.

" _I understand. I didn't expect them to find anything._ _"_ The Puppet paused for a moment. It had another uneasy thought. " _He's never attacked anyone before. I wonder…_ " The Puppet looked back up at Golden. " _I want you to keep an eye on Katrina. I hope I'm wrong about this, but I have a feeling that "he" will come after her again. Now that she's won Freddy's heart, he won't take too kindly to that._ "

"But what about Freddy? Won't he protect Katrina?" Golden asked softly.

" _Not to worry. Freddy will protect Katrina with his life. I have no doubts about that_ _,"_ the Puppet said with confidence. " _But this is a devious foe, one that not even Freddy can detect. It's best that we keep an eye on things._ _"_ The Puppet's glowy eyes looked over at the Show Stage where it had a good view of Freddy, Bonnie and Chica. " _Keep a close watch, Golden. You know that's where he likes to hide. I don't know what his motives are, but I won't allow him to corrupt the ghost children._ "

"I promise I will," Golden said with a nod of his head. He trusted the Puppet's wisdom. No doubt that there was something evil lurking around. If anyone could sense it, it was Golden Freddy. The only animatronic who was more in touch with his supernatural side.

" _One more thing. I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention our conversation with anyone, Golden,"_ the Puppet said mysteriously. " _I don't want to alarm the others. But in the meantime, watch over Katrina_ _."_ The Puppet reached out and gently touched Golden's face. " _Get some sleep, ok? You have nothing to worry about for now._ _"_

Like a trusting child, Golden Freddy disappeared before the Puppet's eyes and teleported back to the parts & service room. Once he was gone, all that was left for the Puppet was to retreat back inside its music box and sleep for the night. Before entering the musical box, the Puppet couldn't help but look warily around its shadowy surroundings and wonder. The Puppet didn't trust the darkness, because the darkness always had something to hide. But for now, it would worry about bigger matters in the morning.

* * *

 **Yeah I know, the chapter must have been a bummer. FNAF readers never get the chance to find out who attacked Katrina in the bathroom. The mystery lingers for now but not to worry, the answer will come in a later chapter. In the meantime, it'll give my readers plenty of time to figure out which FNAF villain was capable of the crime. Thanks for the reading so far, hope the story is proving to be an interesting one so far! Until next time!**


	10. It's Foxy the Pirate Fox!

**Sorry it took so long, got distracted by life. Good news is I'm back with a brand new chapter. Thanks for being patient and here is your reward! Onward with more mysteries at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Enjoy my reading friends.**

* * *

The next day, Katrina woke up bright and early and began to gather her things. After making sure she didn't forget anything, she headed for the bathroom in order to slip out the window. She was still nervous about going near the restrooms because of what happened last night. But since it was daytime, the place didn't look quite as scary. Katrina shuddered at the memory of that shadowy figure, laughing wickedly at her despair. She remembered feeling cold and helpless. She wanted to forget encountering that terrifying being who struck fear in her heart. The only good thing that came out of it was that it brought her and Freddy closer together. Katrina smiled when she thought about Freddy holding her in his arms and comforting her.

Upon reaching the girls' bathroom, she was startled to see someone was in there waiting for her. She breathed a sigh of relief when it was only Golden Freddy. "Golden? You're up early. What are you doing in here?" she asked him.

Golden Freddy said nothing, although he followed her to the open window. He was the shyest animatronic, but Katrina had the feeling that he was warming up to her. And he was there to help her climb out through the window. Katrina smiled appreciatively at the golden bear who handed the back-pack over to her. "Thanks Golden. Tell the others I won't be back until later today, ok?" She reached out to pat him on the nose. "Take care."

There Golden Freddy watched Katrina Marlowe hop on her bike and pedal away from Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Once she was safely out of sight, Golden had fulfilled his promise to the Puppet. Now it was time to return to the parts & service room which was his domain. Just like that, the golden bear vanished in the blink of an eye…

Later in the day, Katrina sat at the dining table with the other girls. Mrs. Cosgrove had fixed them all some lunch and they sat around enjoying some sandwiches while drinking ice tea. Katrina took a healthy bite of her sandwich but was very quiet. As always the other girls seemed to eye her strangely and talk behind her back. With the exception of Jackie who didn't say much. Come to think of it, Jackie wasn't making eye-contact with anyone and it looked like she'd been crying recently. Katrina kept glancing worriedly over at her, but Jackie wouldn't look anyone in the face.

Katrina finished her sandwich and rose from the table. Ignoring Tracy's snide comments about her, Katrina left the room and decided to head upstairs to her room and change into some fresh clothes. Changing into an orange t-shirt and putting on a matching white mini-skirt, Katrina started to brush her long honey-colored hair to get the tangles out. Just as she was pulling her hair back into a ponytail, there was a knock at the door. To her surprise, Jackie entered the room with a somber expression.

Finally Katrina decided to say something to her. "Are you feeling okay, Jackie? You haven't said a word all day. Is it the other girls? Were they picking on you again?"

"What's it to you?" Jackie said moodily. She brushed her long chocolate-brown hair over her face; she was always making sure that the right side of her face was hidden from view. Jackie was a lovely-looking girl, yet why was she so self-conscious?

"Hey Jackie, why do you wear your hair like that?" Katrina wanted to know. "You should pull it back; let people see your face." She said helpfully. Katrina put on her favorite heart-necklace and secured it.

"I don't need hair advice," Jackie grumbled while crossing her arms over her chest. "I like my hair the way it is." She'd been in a bad mood all day. Ever since looking at herself in the mirror this morning…

Jackie watched as Katrina admired herself in the mirror and she started feeling jealous. Katrina Marlowe was such a beautiful girl, the total opposite of the girl she used to be before. Jackie still remembered how for two whole months Katrina had been depressed and wouldn't speak. Although you wouldn't know it looking at her now. Another thing Jackie couldn't help noticing was the way Katrina was paying a lot of attention to her appearance. It made Jackie wonder who Katrina was trying to look pretty for. Next Jackie saw Katrina putting on her sneakers and realized that Katrina was actually going somewhere.

"Where are you going?" Jackie asked.

"Oh just to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza," Katrina replied shortly. Once she was fully dressed, she headed for the door. Jackie followed her out of the bedroom and downstairs.

"Freddy Fazbear's Pizza? I thought you didn't like that place," Jackie said surprised. And then she got an idea. "Let me come with you! I need to get out of the house." She followed Katrina to the front door.

"But I thought you didn't like the pizzeria either," Katrina said. She was hoping to go alone, but Jackie was insistent. So she decided to allow the brunette to come along. Katrina and Jackie went and fetched their bikes from the garage and together the two girls made the trip to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.

Once they've arrived at the family-friendly restaurant, Katrina and Jackie entered the building. However upon going into the Dining Area, they immediately saw that a big event was going down. The place was packed with kids of all ages and there was a lot of excitement in the air. Upon looking closer, she saw that all the dining tables had boxes of crayons, markers, sketch-papers and colored pencils for drawing and coloring. Katrina wondered what was going on and went over to ask one of the staff members.

"Today is the Art Contest," a young woman kindly explained to her. "We choose one of the lovable Fazbear characters here to model for the kids. Whoever can draw the best picture of that character wins a prize! This time we've chosen Foxy the Pirate Fox for the kids to draw! He was always my favorite!"

This was amazing news. All the kids loved the pirate fox and this was a real treat to finally see him. Katrina watched as two men brought in Foxy which brought cheers and applause from both children and adults. Foxy had been wiped clean for the special occasion. Now they've propped him at the center of the Dining Area where everyone could see him. Even though there were rips and tears visible upon Foxy's animatronic suit, nobody seemed to mind. Despite his flaws, the kids hardly noticed Foxy's haggard appearance, they were way too happy to see him. And Katrina could tell that Foxy was thrilled to finally be back in the spotlight after so long.

"He's really creepy looking," Jackie said, frowning distastefully over at Foxy. "I don't get why everyone likes him. How could anyone like a villainous pirate fox?"

"It's not like that," Katrina disagreed. "I know he looks scary, but he's a softie. He's also adventurous and daring, Foxy makes for a pretty tough pirate." Katrina realized that Jackie was eying her suspiciously.

"How exactly do you know that?" Jackie demanded.

"Umm… I overheard some people talking about what kind of animatronic Foxy used to be?" Katrina said quickly. Katrina hoped she sounded convincing. She couldn't let anyone know that she was sneaking into the pizzeria at night to visit the animatronics. Jackie continued to study her closely but didn't say anything else.

Soon the Art Contest began… The rules were simple, the artist who could draw the best picture of Foxy the Pirate Fox, wins a free prize over at Prize Corner. Katrina decided not to join in; she never was a very good artist. Instead she watched as Jackie went over to grab some papers and colored pencils and entered the contest. Gazing over at the Show Stage, Katrina could see Freddy, Bonnie and Chica being active. She caught the eye of Freddy Fazbear who was smiling at her with so much warmth that she could feel it. The mascot of the restaurant was acting like his old self again. He greeted children with much more enthusiasm and there was nothing fake about his joyous nature.

Katrina went to go sit closest to the Show Stage where she could be near Freddy. There she watched as all the other kids went to work on drawing Foxy. She couldn't wait to see who the winner was. It took a long time, but once all the young artists finished their drawings and turned them in, it was now time to decide the winner. The same woman from earlier carefully examined every drawing, looking for the best drawn picture of Foxy. It was a difficult choice, but after going through them all, she finally made her decision and loudly announced the winner to all the kids waiting in anticipation.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have our artist! The winner of the Art Contest today is "Jackie Garvey!"

Jackie looked up in surprise when she saw her drawing being held up for everyone to see. She excelled at art class and it was one of her favorite subjects. Her drawing depicted the amazing scenery of a heroic Foxy the Pirate Fox on his trusty pirate ship, taking on the bad guys while plundering them of their treasure. It was colorful and truly creative. Everyone was really impressed, even Katrina. She had no idea Jackie was that artistic. Kids watched enviously as Jackie was being led to the Prize Corner to claim her free prize there. Jackie seemed embarrassed by all the attention she was getting, but she was modest.

Once the Art Contest was over, sadly it was time for Foxy the Pirate Fox to return to Pirate Cove. A lot of kids were especially disappointed by this. As Katrina looked over at Foxy, she saw the shining light in his amber eyes. Then when everyone least expected it, Foxy came to life and started singing a hearty pirate shanty that had all the kids laughing and the staff hurrying to march the fox animatronic back to its attraction. That wily fox couldn't resist showing off, Katrina thought. With the Art Contest over and done with, now she could spend the rest of the day with her beloved teddy bear…

Over at Prize Corner, Jackie claimed her free prizes as promised. They had a lot of nice stuff there. But that's not all… The little mascot of the prize corner also wanted to reward her with a gift of its own. The music box opened and out popped the Puppet to greet her with its overjoyed smile and a gift in its hand. Jackie always thought the Puppet was freaky-looking. Nevertheless she gladly accepted the gift from the marionette. And then something strange happened… Maybe she was imaging it, but the Puppet's hand seemed to move on its own, and was reaching out to touch her face. Jackie backed away at once and stared openmouthed. Seeing her fear, the Puppet lowered its hand and silently retreated back into its box where My Grandfather's Clock started playing.

Jackie hurried away from Prize Corner at once and didn't look back. She heard rumors that this place was haunted and wondered if there was any truth to it. Going back to the Dining Area, Jackie searched around the crowd for Katrina. Something wasn't right about this place and she wanted to leave. There she spotted Katrina over by the Show Stage, and saw that Freddy Fazbear had come offstage for the kids. Now this was a pleasant surprise, she's never seen Freddy come offstage before. As to be expected from the mascot of the restaurant, Freddy was full of life and his charming personality attracted kids from everywhere. The animatronic bear loved all the attention he was getting.

Freddy Fazbear appeared to be Katrina's favorite character, because she held his big paw and was perfectly content to walk around the restaurant with him while Freddy invited other children to join them. And as Jackie watched them from a distance, there was something else she couldn't help noticing. Freddy welcomed a lot of kids with open arms and encouraged even the shyest kids to come play, but every now and then the animatronic bear would smile affectionately down at the beautiful girl keeping him company. Katrina also gazed adoringly up at the mascot bear and has never looked happier. Jackie noted that the two of them seemed to share an intimate moment.

"Sing a song for us, Freddy!" Kids cheered. "Sing for us! Sing for us!" They all chanted.

Everyone watched in amazement as Freddy Fazbear raised the microphone to his big mouth and without further encouragement broke into a harmonious song where his jolly booming voice always captivated the audience. Even Jackie felt calmer when she started listening to the bear animatronic sing. She changed her mind and decided not to leave here so soon after all. Besides, nobody else seemed to notice the strange occurrences around this place. For now, Jackie headed over to the arcades to play some of her favorite games there.

Around afternoon, Katrina and Jackie ordered a four-cheese pizza pie to share for dinner. Chica the Chicken arrived to deliver their food, and once again Jackie noticed how familiar Katrina appeared to be with the adorable chick animatronic. Chica was kind to all kids, but she was especially sweet on Katrina. But then Chica wasn't the only one… Jackie had also noticed earlier that Bonnie the Bunny loved to follow Katrina around like a loyal pet. It made her wonder how did Katrina know the animatronics here so well? And then there was Freddy Fazbear who always had his eyes on Katrina…

"Everything okay, Jackie?" Katrina's voice interrupted Jackie's thoughts. She'd been hanging out with the animatronics all day that she hadn't had a chance to talk to Jackie.

"I'm fine." Jackie took a sip from her drink with a thoughtful expression. Then curiosity got the better of her. "Can I ask you something? The animatronics really seem to like you. Why is that? Do you come here a lot?"

"Yeah…sometimes," Katrina replied awkwardly. She had to be careful; she could tell that Jackie was already getting suspicious. Jackie was looking at her funny but didn't say anymore.

When they ate all the pizza, Katrina told Jackie she was heading to the restrooms and left. Jackie wiped her hands with a napkin and tried to finish the rest of her drink. Once she was done, she tossed out her trash and then began looking around for Katrina. It was time to head back to the foster home. But then Jackie saw another odd thing… Bonnie the Bunny approached Katrina as she was coming back from the girls' bathroom. Jackie watched in fascination as Katrina leaned close and appeared to be talking to the purple bunny.

"How weird…," Jackie muttered to herself.

It got stranger when she saw Katrina walk away from Bonnie and start heading for Pirate Cove. Why is she going there? Jackie wanted to leave already. But Katrina was acting very peculiar. She wanted to know once and for all what was going on. As much as she didn't want to, Jackie also began to make her way to Pirate Cove. She wasn't too fond of the animatronic in there. Upon entering the empty attraction, Jackie didn't see anyone else in here. However she did hear voices… Listening closely, Jackie recognized Katrina's voice and it sounded like she was talking to someone. Was somebody here? The first thing she spotted was Katrina standing over by the purple curtains and was speaking in a low voice to someone.

"Who are you talking to?" Jackie asked. She must have took Katrina off-guard because she spun around at the sound of her voice.

"Oh Jackie…hi…I was just…," Katrina struggled to come up with an explanation. She decided to settle on the truth for once. "I came in here to visit Foxy. He gets lonely and restless, so I come here and try talking to him, you know?" Katrina hoped she didn't sound crazy. Looking for a distraction, she turned back toward the stage. "Do you want to see Foxy? He's standing behind these curtains."

Katrina pulled back the purple curtains and revealed Foxy the Pirate Fox standing immobile at the center of the stage. At the sight of the roguish red fox, Jackie stared apprehensively at it and backed away at once. "What's wrong? Don't you like Foxy?" Katrina noticed Jackie's nervous behavior.

"No. It looks scary with all those sharp teeth and hook for a hand," Jackie frowned. "Not to mention it looks so worn-out and broken. No wonder they don't use this animatronic anymore." Jackie turned away from the stage and became much more interested in the crane machines kept in here.

Jackie Garvey sure was judgmental when it came to looks. Despite drawing the best picture of Foxy, she made it abundantly clear that she was no fan of him. Then from behind her, Katrina heard a devilish pirate-accented voice whisper to her. " _Tis the interesting lass again. A lovely lil' pearl… Think ye can introduce me to her_?"

Keeping a close watch on Jackie, Katrina whispered back. "I don't think so, Foxy. She doesn't really like you all that much. You heard the way she was criticizing you just now."

Foxy's glowing amber eyes moved over to watch the brunette who was still wandering among the crane games. " _So her name be Jackie, eh? I like a lass who speaks her mind. Bring her ere' and I'll woo her wit' me charm_!"

"Shhhh…not so loud Foxy! Anyway, I think you'd better not," Katrina whispered hastily. She kept looking over her shoulder to make sure Jackie wasn't eavesdropping. "I can't stay for long. I just came here to say hi. You were really funny out there, especially when you started singing!"

" _What can I say, lass? Ol Foxy still got it! It be nice to see me loyal crew after so long_!"

There Katrina closed the purple curtains and promised Foxy she would be back. Then she went over to join Jackie and together the two girls started to leave. Before exiting the Pirate Cove, Jackie looked back and gave the purple-curtained stage one last look. To her amazement, the curtain fluttered as if something had been watching her but quickly darted out of view. Jackie stared but it didn't happen again. She was reminded of the ghost stories about this place. Was Freddy Fazbear's Pizza really haunted? It even made her wonder if there were ghosts lurking around as well. In the end she dismissed these ridiculous thoughts from her head.

That night at the house, Katrina spent most of her time shut up in her room. In the next room over, she could hear Tracy and Danielle arguing over the radio. Jackie and Gina were down in the living room, watching their favorite programs. Whenever she had time alone, Katrina would often go through her duffel bag and pack certain things she would bring with her to the pizzeria. Then she found the photo of her parents she still kept with her.

Katrina stared at that photo and felt a mixture of depression and anger. She didn't like to think about the accident anymore. What was done could never be undone. But she still couldn't forgive herself for leaving her parents… Katrina hid the photo away so that she wouldn't be reminded of the life she no longer had. Once the clock read 9:00 P.M, Mrs. Cosgrove made sure all five girls brushed their teeth before sending them all to bed. Katrina lay nestled under the covers and waited for all the other occupants of the house to fall asleep. As soon as the house was dark and silent, Katrina began to make her move.

Grabbing her book-bag and putting on her sneakers, Katrina quietly opened her bedroom door and started for the stairs. This way was easier; it would keep people from asking her too many questions. Carefully making her way downstairs, Katrina decided to take the backdoor this time. The front door made too much noise when opened. As soon as she stepped outside, she could see the dark night sky. It was a clear warm night with the inky black sky filled with grey clouds, followed by a luminous full-moon. Thanks to the moonlight, Katrina had no trouble finding her way through the backyard and reaching the back gate.

Before heading out, Katrina looked over her shoulder to make sure no one had seen her and then left. But she failed to notice Jackie hiding at her dark bedroom window. She'd been spying on Katrina the whole time and saw her sneak out. It made her wonder more than ever what was going on with Katrina Marlowe. Where was she going at this time of night? Should she be concerned? Jackie seriously thought of telling Mrs. Cosgrove what was happening, but decided against it.

"Everyone should be entitled to their secrets," Jackie murmured before disappearing back into her room.


	11. The dark figure revealed

Katrina arrived at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza where the place was dark and empty as usual. Going around the side of the building, she found the bathroom window that was opened for her. Now she climbed her way through into the girls' bathroom while lugging her back-pack with her. Once she was inside, Katrina headed for the door and went to go look for her robotic friends.

"Hello? I'm back!" Katrina called out. The animatronics have already switched over to free-roaming mode and had the freedom to wander. Upon hearing Katrina's voice, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy immediately appeared to surround her and all were smiling.

"Welcome back!" Chica greeted her. "Now that you're finally here, let's play "Find the Pom-Pom!" I've hidden ten cupcake dolls in the restaurant. Think you can find them all?"

"No way!" Bonnie argued. "I want Katrina to read stories to us. Did you bring new books this time?"

"Oh no ye don't! Katrina is comin' wit me!" Foxy declared. He offered his hand to Katrina. "Come along lass, lemme' show ye the best way ter win treasure at me crane games."

"Hey no fair! I want Katrina to play my game!" Chica said, angrily frowning at the pirate fox. She took Katrina by the hand. "Come on, Katrina. It'll be just us girls."

But Foxy blocked their path with a taunting smirk. "I don' think so, ye feathery female! The girl is mine! Hand her over nice n' easy!"

"Foxy, don't you dare!" Chica warned. She tightened her grip on Katrina's hand possessively. "Katrina is not an object for you to steal! Quit pestering us!"

"Wait a minute! Katrina never said she wanted to play games." Bonnie pointed out. "I think she should choose what she wants to do. And she wants to read books! Right, Katrina?"

"Uh guys? I'm not so sure…" Katrina looked from one animatronic to another. Somehow she didn't want to be caught up in this situation. But before she could speak up, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy continued to fight over her. And it started getting out of hand.

"Stop trying to take Katrina for yourself! I want her to come with me! Let go of her!" Bonnie stepped forward and tried removing Katrina from Chica's grip.

"Cut it out, Bonnie! You'll get your turn. I want to spend time with Katrina!" Chica agitatedly tried swatting Bonnie back. The bunny and chicken kept bickering with each other, enabling Katrina to slip away from them.

Without warning, Katrina felt an arm loop around her waist. She looked up to see Foxy grabbing her with a triumphant grin. Both Bonnie and Chica looked up in dismay when they saw that Foxy had her. "Get back ye scallywags! Back!" Foxy raised his hook threateningly at them when they tried to stop him. "I'll take on anyone who dare get in me way! Let's be off, Katrina!"

To her surprise, Foxy easily lifted her and sprinted away with surprising speed for a robot. He was no doubt the fastest animatronic. Suddenly Foxy nearly ran into Freddy Fazbear who stood blocking his way. Foxy clutched Katrina tightly and stared defiantly up at the big bear animatronic. Freddy calmly looked back at Foxy and noticed the challenging stance the red fox had taken. Then he looked down and saw Katrina there. Bonnie and Chica came over to watch as Freddy and Foxy stared each other down.

"Let Katrina go, Foxy," Freddy said firmly.

"And what if I don'?" Foxy said defiantly. "Ye gonna take her from me, Cap'n? I love ter see ye try!"

"No. I'll let Katrina decide who she wants to go with." Freddy said. "Put her down and let her choose." Foxy didn't release Katrina and Freddy narrowed his eyes. "Let her go, Foxy. Give her a chance to choose."

Freddy's tone sounded pleasant but Katrina could detect the authority behind it. For a moment, she was afraid that Foxy would disobey. But instead the red fox gently lowered her feet to the ground and allowed her to step away. Now Katrina looked at four of the animatronics who waited for her to choose. Bonnie looked at her hopefully, Chica smiled invitingly, Foxy secretly beckoned her with his hook, and Freddy watched her patiently. After thinking it over, Katrina found herself drawn to Freddy Fazbear whose face lit up with delight when she approached him. He held out his big paw to her and she gladly took it. The other animatronics groaned in disappointment.

"Shoulda known that Freddy would get her," Foxy said grumpily, crossing his arms while watching Freddy and Katrina walk away hand-in-hand. "He bein' the star and all."

"I don't think so. I always thought Freddy was Katrina's type," Chica said thoughtfully. "They have an awful lot in common. Maybe that's why she likes him more."

"Well I'm happy for Freddy," Bonnie said cheerfully. "I'm glad to see him making children happy again. And it's all thanks to Katrina. She was the one who brought Freddy around."

Once they were away from the other animatronics, Freddy took Katrina over to the Show Stage where they could be alone together. From here, she had a good view of the entire Dining Area and realized that this was what the performing animatronics could see during daytime hours. She also got to see the stage props and the big boom boxes where the music was played. She turned and looked up at Freddy who was watching her with an unreadable expression. Only now did Freddy realize how much he liked her. She was the only person who he could be himself with. And he wanted to do more than just entertain her.

Feeling awkward for the moment, Katrina smiled and tried striking up a conversation with the brown bear. "So um… what's your idea of fun? What would you like to do?"

"I want to talk…," When Freddy saw her surprise, he quickly explained. "I like to know more about you, Katrina. Please tell me everything." To prove it, Freddy lowered himself to sit on the stage and gave Katrina his undivided attention.

Katrina sat down next to the bear animatronic and began to have one conversation after another with him. Soon Freddy knew many things about Katrina Marlowe. He knew her favorite color, her birthday; he learned what her favorite foods were, what books she liked to read, and she even told him about the world outside the pizzeria. Freddy did find it strange that Katrina never talked about her family, but he didn't think much of it at the time. Instead he wanted to sit here and listen to the sound of Katrina's voice.

Katrina chatted on and on, but stopped to catch her breath. Freddy was a good listener and never interrupted her. But now she wanted to know more about him. "What about you? How long have you been an animatronic?"

Freddy hesitated, and then admitted. "We've been here ever since we lost our lives." He gazed into Katrina's brown eyes. "Let me ask you. Who told you the truth about us?"

"It was the Puppet," Katrina replied. "The Puppet told me everything. It told me that you were murdered. And now you're looking to avenge your wrongful deaths." Katrina paused. "This killer… Who is he? Do you know what he looks like?"

Freddy looked away while scowling seriously. "We're not sure. All we can remember is that he wore all purple. Because of that, we know him only as "Purple Guy." He likes coming to the restaurant and preying on children. My friends and I try hard to protect the children and keep them out of harm's way. But sometimes it isn't easy…" Freddy's expression darkens and he seemed to be recalling bad memories. "There have been many tragedies here we haven't been able to prevent."

Katrina truly sympathized with the bear mascot. And then it gave her an idea. "Maybe I can help," she offered. "You can't move on to the afterlife because you need to find your killer. Maybe I can find him for you. I'm sure he's out there."

"NO!" Freddy shouted. "Don't you ever go near him! Do you hear me? He's a cold-blooded killer! I don't ever want you to go looking for him!" Freddy calmed down, and then immediately felt bad for having raised his voice like that. "I'm sorry for snapping at you," he apologized. "It's just that I don't want anything bad to happen to you, Katrina. I know you only want to help, but you can't. This is something only we can do. I'm afraid you can't help us."

"I see…I'm sorry," Katrina said quietly. She gloomily looked down at the ground. "It's so sad… You've been haunting the pizzeria for years. You're never going home and you're never going to see your family again. Nobody even knows what became of you. What a horrible fate…"

Seeing that Katrina was close to tears, Freddy gently reached down, cupped her chin and lifted it so that she could look him in the eye. "Hey cut that out. No tears, okay?" Freddy chuckled softly. "No more talking about sad stuff." Now Freddy climbed to his feet and stretched out his bulky robotic limbs. "I need to give my servos some exercise. Come take a walk with me."

Freddy took Katrina's hand and gentlemanly helped her down the Show Stage. While walking together, Freddy looked down at the lovely honey-haired girl beside him and decided that he wanted to do something special for her. He would take her to his most favorite spot in the restaurant; a romantic place. The arcade was usually noisy during the day, filled with kids and video games. But at night-time, it was quiet and peaceful. It also contained the only big window to the outside world. And it was where Freddy Fazbear liked to go to be alone and think.

Sitting comfortably on Freddy's lap enabled Katrina to have a better view of the beautiful night. Now that it was late out, stars started to dot the dark night sky along with the radiantly glowing full-moon. Katrina stared up at the night-sky and got lost in thought. Again she thought about her parents and like always, it filled her with loneliness. She wondered if the pain would ever go away… But ever since she came to this family-friendly pizzeria, she hadn't felt depressed or lonely anymore. Meeting Freddy Fazbear had changed all that…

"Isn't the stars beautiful?" Freddy's warm voice broke into her thoughts. When Katrina nodded, Freddy let out a wistful sigh while gazing longingly out the window. "Wish I could go outside and feel the cool air on my face. It's been so long…"

"Well why not just step out of the building and get some fresh air?" Katrina suggested. "I can open the door and you could step out real quick. I'm sure nobody will notice." Katrina got to her feet and grabbed Freddy by the arm. "Come on. I'll go out with you."

But Freddy didn't move. "I'm sorry, but I can't." Katrina stopped tugging his arm and looked up at him. "You see, we animatronics can't leave the restaurant," Freddy explained to her. "We're programmed to stay here in this building. Should any of us wander outside, we'll automatically be shut off. So we have no choice but to stay here."

"Oh I see…," Katrina said understandably. She released Freddy's arm and looked sympathetic. "But wait… your ghost is controlling the animatronic, right?" she pointed out. "Can't you just manipulative the program inside you?"

Freddy smiled weakly and had to appreciate Katrina's efforts in trying to help. "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. It's true that our souls live on inside the animatronics but we can't control everything. The program can't be tampered with. The animatronics are like stubborn horses that refuse to leave the building. But it's alright; the pizzeria is a cozy place for us."

Freddy opened his arms to her and Katrina went into them. She felt sorry for Freddy and his friends. They were stuck in this place, forced to take on the role of lovable mascots. But they've never complained about their situation and instead accepted it. And Freddy Fazbear was the one she admired the most. Whoever he used to be, Freddy took great care of the others and became a strong leader. Katrina rested her head snugly on the brown bear's chest and smiled upon the warmth that greeted her. It was like embracing a very large teddy bear.

As Freddy gazed fondly upon Katrina and watched her cuddled up to him, he was overwhelmed by tender emotions. Nobody had ever made him feel this way before. He couldn't resist moving his large hand to gently stroke Katrina's long soft hair, and deep down inside he felt the beat of his own heart that he once thought was dead forever. And then he knew… Freddy had deep feelings for Katrina. It was comforting to know that he still had the heart and soul of a child.

"You're the dearest friend I've ever had," Katrina said softly. "I know you hear that all the time from other kids, but when I come here, I don't feel lonely anymore. I hope we can always be together."

" _But we can't always be together. I'm dead and you're alive. You can go on living while I have to stay here. You're human and I'm only a machine_." These cynical thoughts ran through Freddy's mind. Maybe he shouldn't be getting too close to Katrina. Because someday they would have to part ways… Soon he would have to say good-bye. But he couldn't deny what he was feeling in his heart. The Puppet had brought them all back to life in order to avenge their deaths. What was the harm in having a crush on a pretty girl? Freddy didn't know how long he had in this world, but perhaps this was his one and only chance to know what it was like to fall in love. The dream he used to have as a boy…

Suddenly there was a loud crash coming from the kitchen, followed by the angry voices of Chica and Foxy arguing about something. Katrina watched as Freddy got to his feet and stood up. "Oh dear, I'd better get over there and diffuse the situation," he told her. "Otherwise it's gonna get out of hand."

"It's alright. I'll wait here for you," Katrina said smiling. "Go easy on them, ok?" Katrina watched as Freddy turned and exited arcade and hurried off to the kitchen.

Once he was gone, Katrina was alone. While waiting for Freddy to come back, she turned and approached a pinball machine and tried looking for a way to switch it on. Maybe she could play a game or two. She was sure no one would notice. She'd been so distracted fidgeting with the machine, when sudden movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Katrina looked up and thought she saw something zoom by the arcade. It was pitch dark out there and the only light came from the window where moonlight lit the room. Dismissing it as her imagination, Katrina went back to the pinball. She dug into her pocket to look for tokens, when again she heard something "swoosh" by her. Spinning around fast, whatever it was had eluded her.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Katrina called out uneasily into the darkness. No answer.

But something was there. Katrina's instincts told her that something was lurking around in the shadows. Scared of the dark now, she slowly backed away until she stood near the window with the moonlight shining through. Her eyes traveled all around the dark arcade, trying to locate the mysterious intruder. Whatever it was, it was close. Katrina was too afraid to move, but she was determined to confront the hidden figure. Without warning, the air suddenly turned cold as if someone had lowered the thermometer. It made Katrina shiver as her breath came out in puffs of smoke.

"I know you're there," Katrina called out bravely to the shadows. "Come on out. Stop hiding from me."

And then from the darkness itself, she recognized an all too familiar bone-chilling voice. " _ **I'm not hiding from you. I wanted to see you again… Katrina**_."

Katrina gaped in horror as the same glowing eyes and leering grin appeared from the darkness itself. It was the same monster she encountered back at the restrooms. She'd always hoped that she would never see that horrifying face again, but it was back. And she would never forget the terror this monster exposed her to. The shadowy figure was chuckling evilly and enjoyed seeing her fear. Katrina thought of running out of there, but she'd hate to have this monster chase her. So instead she stood perfectly still and tried to control the pounding of her heart.

"Why did you want to see me?" she asked in a trembling voice. "And how do you know my name?"

" _ **I've heard so much about you**_ ," the cold voice said. " _ **You haven't heeded my warnings about Freddy. I told you to stay away. But you wouldn't listen…**_ " The voice turned ominous. " _ **You're a fool, Katrina. There are many things about Freddy Fazbear you don't know about, things that if you did know, you'd feel very differently.**_ "

Katrina became upset and refused to listen to any of this. "What on earth are you talking about?" she demanded. But what she really wanted to know once and for all. "Who are you?

" _ **Oh I'm sorry… I haven't properly introduced myself, have I?**_ " Finally the figure stepped into the light of the moon and revealed itself. Katrina clamped a hand over her mouth and stared in horror. " _ **I'm Shadow Freddy…**_ "

It was unlike anything Katrina had ever seen before. Was this even an animatronic? Whatever he was, he was a frightening sight to behold. Shadow Freddy looked almost identical to Freddy Fazbear, but there were differences. Shadow Freddy was an eerie black, explaining why he blended in so well with the dark. He possessed glowing white eyes and a mouth arranged into a creepy grin. He too wore a purple top-hat and bow-tie. But unlike the real Freddy Fazbear, there was no warmth coming from this one. Shadow Freddy seemed to bring the cold with him and his expression was scary. Whatever Shadow Freddy was, he was definitely not meant to appeal to children.

"I don't understand. What do you want from me?" Katrina cried. She was starting to panic because this shadowy bear might be dangerous.

" _ **You have good reason to be afraid.**_ " Shadow said. Katrina took a step back when the he came closer to her. " _ **In fact, I like it when you're afraid, Katrina**_ ," he mocked her. " _ **I can't stop thinking about your nightmares. Do you have any more? What other dark secrets do you harbor**_?"

"Stay away from me!" Katrina snapped. "I mean it! If you don't go away, I'll scream for Freddy!"

But her threat had no effect because Shadow started snickering cruelly down at her. " _ **You think I'm afraid of Freddy? I've told you before, he's weak. I know all about his little dark secrets and fears.**_ " Shadow leaned down until he was face-to-face with a visibly scared Katrina. " _ **Would you like to know them, Katrina? I can tell you about the real Freddy Fazbear. And he is no saint… Freddy has done many bad things. Horrible things…**_ "

"I don't believe you," Katrina said shaking her head. She still hadn't moved away from the window, and the moonlight washed over her like a shield. "Freddy is a good person, he would never do anything bad."

Shadow Freddy grinned wickedlyand what she said only seemed to amuse him more. " _ **Your denials will only take you so far, Katrina. There are many truths you refuse to face. But I wouldn't trust Freddy if I were you…**_ "With that, Shadow held out his hand and beckoned for her. " _ **Forget about Freddy.**_ _**Come with me, Katrina. I will show you the truth. But all you have to do is…follow me.**_ "

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Katrina said flatly. She refused to go anywhere with this mysterious dark shadow. She stubbornly stayed put. "Go away before Freddy comes back. He's my friend and he 'll make you leave!"

" _ **Foolish girl. You're being deceived. Freddy Fazbear is not what he seems. You will soon see him for what he really is…**_ " Shadow Freddy turned hostile and his cold voice caused Katrina to tremble. And then Shadow was back to grinning evilly at her. " _ **Nevertheless, there is another reason why I came to see you.**_ " Then in a low voice that Katrina had no trouble overhearing. " _ **I'm hungry…**_ "

Just like that… Shadow Freddy disappeared right before her eyes. It surprised Katrina for a second and she stared at the spot where the shadowy animatronic had last stood. Then without warning… _**SCREEEEEEE!**_ Shadow Freddy let out a ferocious animal roar in front of her and Katrina screamed. In her moment of terror, she made the mistake of leaving the window and running blindly into the darkness. She realized too late that this was what Shadow Freddy wanted. He couldn't attack her near the light and instead lured her away into the shadows. And now the shadowy bear had no trouble zeroing in on the girl and easily lifting her to take away with him. Katrina didn't have a chance to scream.

And then she felt another powerful force… Something else had arrived on the scene and was fiercely attacking Shadow Freddy. Katrina felt herself being released and she tumbled to the ground while shaking all over. She looked up in time to see that Shadow Freddy had been forcibly chased away and had retreated back into the shadows. Standing over her was Golden Freddy who was glaring at the spot where Shadow Freddy disappeared. Katrina's heart still pounded in her chest from shock. Then she heard the other animatronics hurrying over.

Freddy got there first and immediately ran to Katrina's side. "Katrina, are you alright? What happened?" Katrina was too shaken to speak, so he turned to Golden. "What happened here, Golden? Did you see who it was this time?"

Golden nodded his head and pointed to the wall on the left. "It was Shadow Freddy. He disappeared right over there."

Looking over at where Golden pointed, Freddy realized that Shadow Freddy was the one who attacked Katrina in the bathroom as well. But Shadow wasn't here anymore and Freddy didn't know where he fled off to. Katrina was his first priority and he had to make sure she was taken to safety. Freddy helped Katrina to her feet and checked her over. She seemed unhurt but the poor girl couldn't stop shaking like a leaf. Freddy could have kicked himself; he never should have left her alone. Twice Shadow Freddy had attacked Katrina, and twice he'd failed to stop it.

"What do we do now, Freddy?" Bonnie asked him. "Should we go after Shadow Freddy? He may still be around somewhere."

"No point… That coward is probably hiding and won't come out," Freddy said angrily. "I don't have time to worry about that shadowy sneak. I have to help Katrina. But as an extra precaution, I want you to keep an eye out." Freddy would worry about Shadow Freddy later. Now he took Katrina's hand and got her to go with him.

Before leaving the arcade, Katrina managed to find her voice and spoke to Golden Freddy as she was going by him. "Thank you, Golden." At first she thought he didn't hear her, but then she caught the smile the golden bear flashed her.

Freddy and Katrina headed back to the Dining Area. Katrina couldn't stop looking nervously at every dark corner and wondered if Shadow Freddy was watching her. Noticing her anxiety, Freddy bent down and lifted her into his arms and carried over to the Show Stage. Once there, he lowered her onto the stage then checked her again for any bruises. Katrina reached up and placed her arms around Freddy's stomach and held onto him for comfort. She felt cold all over and being close to the animatronic bear gave her warmth. Freddy wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug.

"I'm really glad you're okay," Freddy said soothingly while patting her on the head. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I never should have left you alone. I had no idea that Shadow Freddy was lurking around. I won't ever let him go near you again."

Now that she felt calmer, Katrina giggled and smiled up at him. "You really have got to stop being so hard on yourself, Freddy. I'm fine. Shadow Freddy gave me a good scare but I'm not hurt." But in her mind, she couldn't get the conversation she had with Shadow Freddy out of her head. She even remembered the unsettling warnings Shadow had given her about Freddy Fazbear. She hadn't believed a word of it so she put it out of her mind.

Late at night, around 4:00 AM in the morning, Freddy stood up onstage along with Chica and Bonnie. After Katrina went to sleep at the Employee Lounge, he checked up on her twice before being satisfied in knowing that she was safe. Now there was the matter of Shadow Freddy to deal with… There were a lot of mysterious circumstances here. Why was Shadow Freddy attacking Katrina? The shadowy being preferred to hide in the shadows, but why was he suddenly so active? Thank god Golden had been there to chase Shadow away. And then Freddy realize something was triggering his appearance here. Shadow Freddy was clearly after something, but what? Speaking of Shadow Freddy…

Freddy's blue eyes spotted something standing almost hidden over at the East hallway. Looking closer, he realized that it was Shadow Freddy sneering at him. At the sight of the black bear, Freddy became furious at once. Shadow Freddy continued to grin maliciously before turning and disappearing down the East hallway. Freddy wasn't about to let him get away, so he stepped offstage and went after Shadow Freddy with a vengeance. This time, he would get answers from that sinister shadow.

Upon reaching the East hallway, Freddy moved his head all around searching for the elusive shadow. Then he spotted Shadow Freddy further down the hall, entering the security office. Determined to catch him, Freddy made his way down the hall and didn't stop until he reached the little office. Stepping inside the room, one quick look around told him that Shadow must have given him the slip again. Just when Freddy stomped his foot in frustration, he felt an all too familiar cold sweep over him. Then from the darkness on the right side of the office, he heard a familiar chilly voice call to him.

" _ **Freddy Fazbear… It's been too long, old friend.**_ " Shadow Freddy stepped into the office and made his presence known. His cold eyes lit up at the sight of Freddy. " _ **So glad you came to visit. Been feeling lonely…**_ "

Without warning, Freddy charged at Shadow Freddy with frightening strength for an animatronic and tried swiping at him. Shadow Freddy dodged in time and retreated back into the shadows. Freddy pursued him in a furious rage. Shadow laughed at Freddy's futile attempts to locate him in the dark. Not giving up, Freddy looked everywhere and wouldn't stop until he had that shadow in his sights.

" _ **How pathetic…**_ " Shadow Freddy materialized in the West Hallway and Freddy angrily tried to grab him, only to have Shadow vanish at the last second. " _ **Somebody's in a bad mood!**_ " Shadow appeared inside the security office and then quickly disappeared when Freddy tried punching at him. " _ **You're weak, Freddy. You have always been weak.**_ " With a loud growl, Freddy picked up an empty soda cup and heaved it hard at Shadow Freddy who ducked out of sight. " _ **Really now, is this your new greeting**_?"

As Shadow Freddy continued to make fun of him, Freddy finally lost his temper. "Stop running away and face me, Shadow! I know you're the one who tried to hurt Katrina!" Freddy shouted.

Now Shadow Freddy stopped hiding and appeared to Freddy with his eyes glinting wickedly. " _ **So this is about the girl? What is she to you? She means nothing… She's like any other girl.**_ "

"Not to me she isn't!" Freddy snapped. He confronted Shadow with his expression filled with outrage. "Katrina hasn't done anything to you! Why would you do that? I want to know why you attacked her!"

Shadow Freddy was no longer grinning, and he eyed Freddy with those cold emotionless eyes. " _ **I did it to protect you. You never should have let her get too close, Freddy. She is the one making you weak. I couldn't let her do it, so I tried scaring her away.**_ "

"What a load of bull!" Freddy said affronted. "Katrina is no threat. I care about her so much that I invited her to come visit us at night-time. You had no right." Freddy's eyes darken dangerously and two unforgiving pinprick eyes glare at Shadow Freddy. "If you ever go near Katrina again, it'll be the last thing you ever do. I won't let you hurt anyone in my restaurant."

But Shadow Freddy rudely shoved Freddy back and wasn't the least bit fazed by the threats. " _ **How dare you order me around like I was a common lackey? Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?**_ " Shadow argued. Then he was smiling darkly. " _ **What about our agreement? Have you forgotten about that already?**_ " He saw Freddy's bear ears droop in shame, so he continued. " _ **When I first saw you, you were powerless and vulnerable. You were drowning in guilt and heartache. Don't you remember the deal we made?**_ "

When Freddy didn't answer, Shadow Freddy answered for him. " _ **Of course you remember, Freddy. You promised to let me stay, and in return I don't kill anyone. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.**_ " But then Shadow scowled bitterly. " _ **Until little Miss Marlowe came into the picture… She's not doing you any favors. Can't you see that? The girl will only cause you more trouble.**_ "

"No, you're wrong," Freddy said at last. "Katrina is not like that. She's beautiful, kind and smart… I always look forward to seeing her." And Freddy truly meant it. Just thinking about Katrina sent butterflies through his circuits. "Katrina is an amazing girl and I adore her!"

Shadow Freddy merely laughed in Freddy's face. " _ **How absurd! Do you really think the girl feels the same way? You're animatronic, you idiot. You're nothing but wires, cross-beams and endoskeleton. You're just a machine to her. Don't bother wasting human emotions. All it'll do is leave you with a broken heart and more misery. Is that what you want?**_ "

Freddy avoided Shadow's eyes; he didn't want to have doubts about Katrina. He wanted to believe that they could still have a special bond. "I don't have to stand here and listen to this," Freddy murmured. "Stay away from Katrina. I'm warning you, Shadow. I will not hesitate to stop you if I must."

With nothing more to be said, Freddy turned his back on Shadow and began to walk down East hallway. He didn't get far when Shadow called after him. " _ **Tell me something… Does Katrina know about your dark side?**_ " Freddy stopped walking, meaning that Shadow had his attention. " _ **I thought so. I wonder how she'll feel when she finds out what you've done. Are you really going to keep fooling yourself into thinking she'll have the same feelings for you? Katrina doesn't even know the real you… But I do. I've seen the bad things you've done…**_ "

"Leave it alone, Shadow," Freddy said quietly without looking back. "It's a side of me that I hope she'll never have to know. But Katrina is important to me and I will always protect her." Then he added sadly. "Even if she never returns my affections." Freddy Fazbear headed back to the Show Stage.

Shadow Freddy watched the mascot of the pizzeria leave, and he was left with his own dark thoughts. He'd hoped to convince Freddy to abandon the girl. Looks like that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Freddy was far too attached to the girl and wasn't about to give her up. But now Shadow couldn't help but wonder. Just how strong was the bond between Freddy and Katrina? Shadow Freddy grinned because he was already plotting his next move. He loved playing those mind games…

* * *

 **Well there you have it! It was Shadow Freddy! I guess it was already painfully obvious to readers who guessed it correctly by now. Okay, quick explanation! I've always seen Shadow Freddy as the villain-type, being this dark-version of Freddy and shrouded in mystery. So I've given Shadow a scary personality along with unnerving abilities. Readers will learn more about Shadow Freddy in later chapters. Until then, one mystery solved!**


	12. Rantings of a lunatic

_The old dream came back to haunt her again. Katrina thought that her nightmares were over and done with, but instead they seem to return, stronger than ever. She didn't want to remember anymore… but the dream always forced its way back into her memories. And now the nightmare was clearer than ever and it played in her mind like a home video._

 _It was night-time… The sky was inky black with dark clouds; there were no stars or moon. In the middle of the road, there was a great blazing fire that crackled and burned. The flames seemed to dance and looked like they might overtake you at any second. Fire could be terrifying… Katrina stood there and watched the flames with horror and fascination. She knew what was in those flames…all she had to do was get closer and she would see them. But the rational side of her told her to stay away…_

" _But why should I stay away? I never wanted to leave them. I should go with them. I can be with them again. All I have to do is go to the flames. I have every right… There's nothing left for me in this world. I wasn't meant to be left behind. I belong with them. They never should have left me…"_

 _Katrina's legs began to carry her forward. Staring intently into the flames, she was determined to put a stop to all her emotional suffering once and for all. The closer she got, the hotter the flames became. The fire seemed to grow bigger as if it were welcoming her. Katrina could feel the heat on her face and smell the choking smoke swirling around her. But she didn't care…this was for the best. This was her destiny. Closing her eyes, Katrina willingly stepped forward to meet the flames._

" _Stop!"_

 _A sudden echoing voice stopped her. Katrina looked all around, but she couldn't see whose voice it belonged to. She was alone…or was she? Just when she decided to ignore it and head to the flames anyway, the soft-voice spoke again. The voice sounded so near and yet so far. And the voice spoke wisely and compassionately to her._

" _Why do you give up on life? You must learn to give life a second chance. Don't give up, Katrina. You have so much more to live for."_

" _Who are you? You can't tell me what to do!" Katrina snapped. The voice sounded familiar. "This is my decision… You can't talk me out of it. I never should have survived! I was supposed to go with them and you know it! You can't stop me!" To prove it, Katrina continued to walk directly toward the flames._

" _But why? Why do you choose death? Life is a gift and must be cherished." The voice protested. "You must forgive yourself. You have to let the past go. Come back Katrina and live again."_

 _As much as Katrina wanted to go into the flames, the voice was distracting her. She grew increasingly irritated at whoever was interfering with her mission. "You don't know what I've been through! Go away! Leave me alone!"_

 _There was silence…and then the voice whispered urgently._ _"Stay away from the flames, Katrina. "He" is here and "he" is watching…"_

 _This cryptic comment left Katrina confused. Was there somebody else here with her? She turned to stare mournfully into the flames. And then without warning, Shadow Freddy leaped from the fire and grabbed her wrist._ **SCREEEEEEE!**

Katrina woke with a start, and felt her own heart leap inside her chest. Breathing hard and shaking, she jumped when she felt someone still holding her wrist. Looking up, she saw that it was only Freddy Fazbear who was looking down at her with concern. For a frightening moment, she thought he was Shadow Freddy. The two bears looked alike. But Freddy was the kind one… Once her heart stopped pounding, Katrina realized that Freddy had come to wake her up.

"It's alright, Katrina. You were having a bad dream," Freddy told her gently. He ran his fingers through her honey-brown hair until she calmed down. "Feeling better yet? Want to tell me what this bad dream was all about?"

"No. I'll be okay. Is it time for me to leave?" Katrina went about gathering her things and packing it away into her back-pack. However she was aware of Freddy watching her closely and she knew she hadn't done a very good job of convincing him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Freddy asked her. "Bad dreams aren't fun to have. Believe me, I should know. I've had a couple scary ones myself."

"It was only a dream. I've already forgotten about it," Katrina lied. She didn't want to discuss the nightmare. It had been far too real. And she didn't want to think about Shadow Freddy reaching for her…

After spending her fourth night at the restaurant, this time Freddy escorted her to the bathroom window and helped her climb out. In an attempt to reassure him, Katrina ran a caressing hand along Freddy's cheek and smiled sweetly. Freddy sighed dreamily as he watched Katrina disappear out the window, and felt like a little boy with a crush. He always wanted to fall in love… But the Purple Guy had taken that away along with everything else. The life Freddy once had was forever lost to him. Then he remembered Shadow Freddy's heartless words…

" _You're nothing but wires, cross-beams and endoskeleton. You're just a machine to her. Don't bother wasting human emotions. All it'll do is leave you with a broken heart and more misery._ "

Freddy shook off those harsh words and refused to believe any of it. There was nothing wrong with having innocent feelings for a girl. He was still human inside… Katrina loved him because of who he was, not what he was. But whenever Freddy looked at himself in the mirror, he only saw a robot bear staring back. He wasn't a boy anymore… Come to think of it, what did Katrina see in him? And besides, who ever heard of an animatronic falling for a human girl? It was totally unheard of.

Freddy left the restrooms behind and started to head back to the Show Stage. They would be opening up the restaurant soon and he needed to get ready for today's events. Good thing too because Freddy needed a good diversion right about now. He didn't want to worry about his emotions or Shadow Freddy. It was time to do what he did best and that was making children happy. He was walking by the Prize Corner when he heard the sounds of the music box opening, followed by the tune of Pop goes the Weasel.

" _Freddy, could you please come here? I need to talk to you…_ _"_ It was the Puppet and it sounded worried.

Now Freddy stepped into the Prize Corner and found the Puppet hanging out of its decorative music box. It looked up when he approached. "What is it, Puppet? Is something the matter?" Freddy asked.

The Puppet didn't answer right away and appeared to be having some troubling thoughts of its own. Finally the Puppet faced Freddy. " _It's about Katrina. Something's been bothering me for a while. At first I thought it was nothing, but now I'm not so sure. You're smart so I thought I could get your opinion._ "

"Of course. What about Katrina? I was just with her and she seemed okay to me." Freddy tried to sound casual, but he was already afraid of what the Puppet had to say.

" _Have you ever noticed that Katrina never talks about her family?"_ The Puppet asked him.

"Actually I have noticed," Freddy said, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "I don't think I've ever seen any family member of hers here at the pizzeria. I didn't think it was strange. But are you saying that that worries you?"

The Puppet seemed to think it over carefully before answering. _"I think Katrina is hiding something. She may act cheerful and friendly, but I think there's something wrong. I see it in her eyes. Whatever it is, it has something to do with her family._ _"_

Looking back on it now, Freddy realized that the Puppet might actually be onto something. "I think you're right. I remember Foxy once telling me that every time he tried asking her about her family; Katrina would always clam up about it. I wonder why though?"

" _I don't know… But what I do know is that Katrina is in denial about something._ _"_ The Puppet became serious. " _My biggest concern is that Shadow Freddy will go after her. You know he loves fear._ "

"Never!" Freddy said fiercely. "I'll never let Shadow go anywhere near her. I've already threatened him to stay away. He knows better than to cross me, Puppet."

" _I believe you…_ _"_ The Puppet knew that Freddy would protect Katrina no matter what. But there were some things that he wouldn't be able to protect Katrina from. If it played its cards right, the Puppet could help Katrina in its own way. " _Take good care of Katrina, Freddy. Try to get her to open up and maybe she'll reveal her secrets to you. But in the meantime, keep Shadow Freddy away._ _"_

"I gotta go, Puppet. We'll talk more later. Thanks for letting me know about Katrina." Freddy turned and started to exit the Prize needed to get back to the Show Stage before employees arrived.

The Puppet hesitated before calling out. " _Hey Freddy!_ _"_ Freddy stopped and looked back. The Puppet hesitated before changing its mind. " _It's nothing. You better hurry back_ _."_ Freddy shrugged and left the Prize Corner. Once he was gone, the Puppet hoped it had not just made a mistake.

Golden Freddy who had been watching and listening in on the whole conversation, appeared before the Puppet and was frowning crossly down at it. "You should have told him, Puppet. Freddy needs to know."

" _Not yet._ _"_ The Puppet said quietly. It had given this a lot of thought and decided that it was best that the ghost children didn't know about "him." " _The others don't need to know, Golden. He hasn't shown his face in a while. As long as he stays in his "room," we'll be safe from him. Trust me…"_

Golden still had doubts but accepted the Puppet's decision all the same. When the golden bear returned to the parts & service room, the Puppet started to have memories about that horrible day. It remembered like it was only yesterday. _Finding the corpses of the five dead children… Knowing that "he" struck again… In desperation, the Puppet had saved the souls of those children and breathed life into them once more…_ The Puppet sighed and retreated back inside its music box. No point worrying about it. With a little luck, "he" would continue to stay hidden.

It was another fun day at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Today was National Cupcake Day, a special event where boys and girls got to decorate their yummy cupcakes with sprinkles, M&Ms, nuts, Hershey Kisses, and cherries. Chica had the honor of hosting the event and stood proudly holding a plate of her companion Pom-Pom. The yellow chick smiled endearingly as children wanted to show off their tasty cupcakes to her. From the stage, Freddy watched all the fun with his usual warm-hearted smile. Once the event was over, there would be the Dance-Off event to look forward to, where Bonnie would provide the music and Freddy would do the singing.

Freddy's eyes traveled around the Dining Area, looking at the faces of kids, mothers, fathers and employees in the crowd. However one man in particular immediately caught his attention… There was a strange man sitting in the back and by the looks of it, he didn't appear to be here for the fun and activities. He looked glum and was dressed rather sloppily. The man would gaze over at the chatty children with the most melancholy expression, and then he would look away as if the sight of happy children pained him. Freddy stared right at the man and felt mistrust at once. Who was that man? He didn't like the man… That man didn't belong here.

Suddenly the man turned and locked eyes with Freddy Fazbear. Those bloodshot eyes stared into Freddy's penetrating ones. Despite Freddy's big smile, his blue eyes became cold. He felt hostility toward the man; he didn't want the man anywhere near the children. If Freddy had to, he would come offstage and chase the man out of here himself. As if sensing the animatronic bear's dark intentions, the man got up and started to head for the men's bathroom. Even after he left, Freddy would never forget that man.

Later that afternoon, Katrina Marlowe finally arrived at the restaurant. She couldn't stay for long because she needed to be home in time for dinner. In the meantime, she wanted to visit her animatronic friends. First Katrina went to the Prize Corner to cash in some tokens she'd won from the arcades. A woman usually worked at the counter and helped hand over toys, prizes and candy. But while there, Katrina couldn't resist rewinding the music box and eagerly waited for the Puppet to come out and surprise her.

Listening to the melodious tunes of My Grandfather's Clock, the lids popped open and the laughing face of the Puppet greeted her with a gift box in its hands while Pop goes the Weasel started playing. Katrina gratefully accepted the gift box and wondered what she got this time. Before she could open the box, she felt the Puppet's hand reach up and gently grip her by the wrist. Katrina looked up and saw the Puppet's ghostly eyes staring up at her. And then the Puppet spoke in a low voice just above a whisper.

" _Meet me here at the Prize Corner tonight. You and I need to talk._ " When Katrina looked worried, the Puppet quickly reassured her. " _Relax. It's nothing bad. Go have fun. I'll see you later._ _"_ The Puppet disappeared back inside its box. Leaving Katrina to wonder what the marionette wanted to talk about.

Alright we gonna do the basic steps!

Slide to the left,

Slide to the right

Take it back now y'all

One hop this time.

Right foot, let's stomp!

Left foot, let's stomp!

Cha cha real smooth!

Back at the Dining Area, the Dance- Off got underway and the kids were dancing a storm while Freddy Fazbear sang his heart out and Bonnie rocked out on his guitar to the music. It was like old times… Seeing all the kids have fun brought so much joy for Freddy. And then his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Katrina Marlowe finally arriving. He'd hoped that she would come over and dance too, but instead Katrina was content to sit down at a table and watch the partygoers. Freddy would have loved to see her dance. He'd give anything to share a dance with her… But instead Freddy firmly scolded himself for having these wishful thoughts. Tried as he might, but every time he laid eyes on Katrina, it filled him with powerful emotions.

Katrina wanted to watch the show before leaving. Once Freddy Fazbear finished singing all the songs and the Dance-Off came to an end, there was tumultuous applause as Freddy formally bowed before the crowd while Bonnie waved furiously to the cheering kids. Katrina happily clapped along with everyone else, and couldn't resist blowing Freddy a kiss, which earned her a jolly belly-laugh from the brown bear. Now it was to time to leave, but she would return tonight. Katrina turned started making her way through the packed crowd of people. On her way to the exit, she accidentally bumped hard into someone that they almost stumbled over.

"Oh excuse me." When Katrina looked up, she was startled to see a morose-looking man standing before her. The man had such a tragic look to him that it was noticeable. On closer examination, the man's eyes were wet as if he had just been crying, and he had a sickly pale complexion.

"Are you okay, sir?" Katrina asked despite herself. She knew she shouldn't talk to strangers, but there was something off with this sad-looking man. She knew the signs of grief. The man didn't answer. He didn't seem to have heard her. Instead he seemed to stare unseeingly around at the whole restaurant, filled with the voices and sounds of happy families and their children.

"Hello? Uh sir? You don't look too good," Katrina said a little louder in case he couldn't hear. "Are you looking for someone?" Finally the man took notice of Katrina and looked blankly down at her. She wondered if this man was sick. From the smell of him, maybe he was a hobo.

"No…I'm…I don't know what I'm doing anymore," the man said slowly. The man looked around the restaurant and seemed to take a moment to study the kid drawings hanging on the walls. Katrina cocked her head and wondered what was up with the man. "This place…this place is disgusting."

"What did you say?" Katrina became shocked when she saw a sudden change in the man. No longer looking depressed, the man became angry. His expression was one of repulsion, and he was looking furiously around the restaurant, at all the happy kids, the animatronics, and the employees.

"This place should have been torn down long ago! Nothing but deaths and tragedies in this place and yet people are still paying good money to bring their children here? Freddy Fazbear's Pizza is a death-trap! Open your eyes, people! Innocent children have died in this very building! The Fazbear Entertainment is a lie! You people are in league with them! You all think you can just sweep it under the rug?" The man flew into a rant that had everyone gawking.

"I beg your pardon, sir. But you're scaring my kids!" An angry father demanded.

"Your kids should be afraid!" The man shouted to the crowd of onlookers. "You've all been betrayed by the Fazbear Entertainment! It's a corrupted company and it must be stopped! Do you really think the horrors are over? All you parents grab your kids and flee from here! This restaurant is cursed! We need to band together and destroy this place once and for all!" The man was out of control at this rate.

Katrina watched as two security guards literally had to drag the man by the arms and legs and carry him out of the restaurant. Even then, the man wouldn't stop his crazed ramblings. "You all make me sick! It's not fair! It's not fair that this place gets to move on like nothing happened! It's not fair! You can't ignore it! You can't pretend it didn't happen!"

And just like that, it was over. Some parents were offended by the man, and poor kids looked frightened and nervous. It took Katrina a few seconds to realize that she was shaking from the whole ordeal. It happen so suddenly, she never would have thought the man was out of his mind. Then she looked over at the Show Stage and could see the animatronics. Bonnie was horrified by what he just witnessed, Chica looked upset, but Freddy was scowling directly at her and she knew why. Great, she was probably going to get a lecture for this. With that, Katrina was glad to leave the pizzeria behind and head home.

* * *

 **A lot of mysteries in this chapter. As for the strange hobo? Readers will learn who he is much later. However I'm sure the most cleverest readers can look at some of the secretly clues I hid in my story and piece it together like you do in the games. I'm gladly clue readers in but I'll never give it away. Cause where's the fun in that? Thanks so much for reading so far, hope ya'll having fun with it! I'll get the next update up soon!**


	13. The boy behind the bunny

**Sorry it took so long, got distracted! Ah-hem, just a quick recap, the last chapter had some crazy loony guy ranting about the restaurant's dark sins, something that unsettling enough, nobody took seriously. Who is this strange man? The answer to this mystery lies in the little clues I drop in some of the chapters like bread-crumbs. Good-luck spotting it. But for now, thanks for your patience and here's the newest chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was a very dark night; stormy grey clouds filled the entire black sky. It looked like it was going to start raining tonight. Luckily Katrina arrived at the pizzeria in time because she felt raindrops start drizzling down. Entering through the bathroom window that was left open for her, Katrina was able to take shelter from the approaching rainstorm. While in there, she checked her appearance in the bathroom mirror. She wore her long hair down, and had dressed in a lovely purple tank-top with matching blue shorts, along with her tennis shoes. Now she headed for the door and went out… and saw Freddy Fazbear standing right there waiting for her.

Judging by his serious scowl, Freddy hadn't forgotten what happened earlier. "You never should have talked to that man, Katrina. There are rules here about kids not talking to strangers," he said sternly.

"It's not my fault. He's the one who bumped into me," Katrina said defensively. "Besides, I felt sorry for the man. I thought he was ill."

"The man was clearly out of his mind," Freddy argued, he stood with arms firmly crossed over his chest. "You could have been hurt. From now on, I don't want you talking to any suspicious characters like that."

"Aren't you overreacting a little?" Katrina frowned up at the bossy bear. "The guy was nuts but he didn't look like he wanted to hurt anyone. Maybe he was just a harmless hobo. Although I don't know why he would want to come into a kids' pizzeria."

"It doesn't matter who he was, all strangers are dangerous!" Freddy scolded her. "Never trust any suspicious characters around the restaurant! I'm serious, Katrina. No matter how innocent they may seem, never let anyone lure you away. Believe me, I should know…"

Katrina opened her mouth to say something but the sound of a throat being cleared caught her attention. Now she and Freddy turned around to see the Puppet standing there. " _Sorry for interrupting, but I must speak privately with Katrina_." The Puppet motioned with its head for Katrina to follow it.

Now Freddy watched as Katrina went with the silently floating Puppet back to the Prize Corner. "I'll wait for you, Katrina. Hurry back when you're done," he called after her. Freddy curiously wondered what the Puppet wanted to talk to her about. Then he remembered what the Puppet had told him earlier about Katrina. So many mysteries around here…

The Puppet led Katrina back to the Prize Corner where it cozily sat itself down on top of its music box. When it looked up at her, she saw that the Puppet was smiling genially. " _Now then... What I have to say to you is very important. So listen carefully._ _"_ When Katrina nodded her head the Puppet went on. " _So you've met Shadow Freddy. I have to admit that his appearance has come as a surprise to me. He usually prefers hiding in the dark, but he has been known to cause mischief every now and then. Shadow Freddy may be a shadow, but he's still a threat not to be trifled with._ _"_

"What is he?" Katrina wanted to know. "Where did Shadow Freddy come from? Has he always been here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza?"

The Puppet had to think it over before providing the best explanation. " _I'm not sure myself how long Shadow Freddy has been lurking around. All I know is that he is a shadow. No, he's not a ghost like the others are. Shadows and ghosts are very different from each other. Ghosts were once human in life, but shadows…let's just say they're from a different realm. Shadows are shift-shapers and don't always like showing itself._ _"_

Katrina found all this fascinating, but still had more questions. "What about Shadow Freddy? Why is he here? You say shadows don't like showing themselves, so why is Shadow Freddy appearing a lot?"

There was a pause, and then the Puppet's expression turned serious. _"Shadows are malevolent supernatural entities. While it's possible that shadows can physically hurt you, they're more likely to attack you emotionally as fear is what gives them energy. In essence, shadows are like energy vampires. If I had to guess, Shadow Freddy thrives on fear, despair, and darkness. Now think Katrina, who do you think supplies him with those emotions?_ "

And then Katrina understood. "The Ghost children… It makes sense." But then she became worried. "Are you saying that Shadow Freddy is sucking out the energy from Freddy and his friends? Why would he do that?"

" _Isn't it obvious? He wants to grow stronger,"_ the Puppet explained. " _Shadow Freddy is opportunistic, manipulative and greedy. He schemes and creates chaos in the hopes of causing stress. And when he succeeds, he feeds on broken hearts and weakened spirits. The more negative energy he sucks, the bigger and stronger he'll become._ "

Then the Puppet gazed into Katrina's soft brown eyes and saw the inner sadness within them. It was almost tempted to ask Katrina what she was feeling, but thought better of it. Besides, there were more important things. " _Listen to me, Katrina. Shadow Freddy is dangerous. He likes to bring out the worst in his victims. The best way to scare him off is with light. Shadow hates the light and he'll stay away from it. But be warned, Shadow Freddy is smart and he knows how to trap his victims. Perhaps the strongest weapon against him is to stay strong and never give in to fear. If you don't, you'll only be giving him what he wants._ "

It was good advice. Katrina promised the Puppet that she would be careful. Then she turned and exited the Prize Corner and went looking for Freddy in the restaurant. Puppet watched her go and only hoped that she would have the fortitude to overcome her nightmares. With a little luck, Freddy and Katrina would be closer than ever. And it would also prevent Shadow Freddy from getting what he really wanted… The Puppet didn't enjoy having to pull strings but sometimes it was necessary…

Heading for the Dining Area, Katrina didn't see anybody there except for Bonnie who was wiping his red guitar clean with a table cloth. She didn't see the other animatronics around and assumed that they must be wandering somewhere else in the pizzeria. Bonnie noticed her and cheerfully waved to her. Katrina went over to him just as he was finishing cleaning his guitar and inspecting it carefully for stains. Bonnie was fond of his guitar. During the day, he didn't mind letting littler kids play with it.

"Hi Katrina. Are you looking for Freddy? I saw him go to Pirate Cove five minutes ago," Bonnie pointed over to the piratical attraction.

"Why did he go there?" Katrina asked.

"Probably to lecture Foxy," Bonnie replied. "He's uh…he's in trouble." It came as no surprise because everyone knew that Foxy has always been the rebellious one. "Come on, I'll take you to Freddy." There Bonnie led Katrina to the Pirate Cove. Upon entering, the first thing they saw was Freddy and Foxy already engaged in a heated argument.

"What's this I'm hearing about you playing peek-a-boo with a bunch of kids in here? You're a discontinued animatronic, Foxy. You need to start acting like it," Freddy was saying angrily.

"Tis not me fault that lil' aspiring buccaneers like sneaking in ere' ter visit me!" Foxy said grumpily. "Don' forget that kids love me too! I can't bring meself to ignore em', I was only tryin' ter be funny."

"I told you before; this restaurant's reputation is already hanging by a thread. There was even a lunatic in here earlier. Last thing we need is for them to catch wind of you being active when you shouldn't be. I'm trying to keep you out of trouble, Foxy!" Freddy said impatiently.

"No yer not! Ye have no idea what's it like standing behind curtains all day!" Foxy spat bitterly. "Everyday I'm wastin' away back ere'. They're never gonna fix me. Add insult onto injury, I gotta listen to ye bleedin' hearts perform on stage and be loved fer it!"

The bickering seemed unending. Freddy and Foxy couldn't stop arguing and disagreeing about everything. Foxy wanted attention and Freddy was trying to curb his rebellious behavior. The two animatronics were too distracted and didn't even notice Bonnie and Katrina standing there. Now Bonnie placed a hand on Katrina's shoulder and gently led her away out of Pirate Cove and away from all the arguing. Looks like she would have to wait for Freddy. But until then, Bonnie would keep her company.

"Don't worry, they won't fight for long," Bonnie told Katrina. "While we're waiting, let me show you my hidden stash!" Katrina watched as the purple bunny went over to a Storage Closet and disappeared inside. A minute later, he came back out and to Katrina's surprise; he was carrying books and magazines.

"I know it's unusual, but I steal these from the Employee Lounge," Bonnie explained to her. "I love reading books and comics. It's fun and gives me all the knowledge I need. I used to do so well in school, probably because I was so well-read for a kid."

As she listened to him talk, Katrina suddenly had Bonnie the Bunny figured out. "You used to be a nerdy kid, didn't you?" She said with a knowing smile.

Bonnie was embarrassed at first, but then he smiled sheepishly. "Yeah I was," he confessed. I wasn't always the cool rock-n-roll bunny you see before you. I used to wear glasses and had messy hair, and two big front-row teeth. I used to be really self-conscious about my looks." Bonnie had never told this to anyone before. And he revealed more to Katrina. "I got bullied a lot. One time, a gang of mean kids cornered me in the bathroom."

"What did you do? Were you able to get away?" Katrina asked. She took a seat and listened raptly to Bonnie's story.

"Well I tried fighting them off, but it wasn't easy because there were four of them and only one me," Bonnie continued on. "Just when I thought they'd force me to drink toilet water, a red-headed boy came to my rescue. Together we both fought back the bullies and even managed to avoid trouble afterwards. But I ended up breaking my favorite glasses during the struggle.

"A red-headed boy helped you?" Katrina said curiously. "Who was the boy?"

"You know who he is. The same tough pirate who rules the seven seas over at Pirate Cove," Bonnie winked down at Katrina's amazement. "That's how Foxy and I became friends. Foxy doesn't like bullies and is always defending helpless kids. There was this one funny time when Foxy barked at an employee to scare him away from the kids he was entertaining!"

It was so fascinating to learn what the ghost children had been like when they were alive. But Katrina asked the biggest question she really wanted to know. "What's your real name, Bonnie? I won't tell anyone that you've told me."

Bonnie hesitated while his ruby-red eyes looked carefully around the Dining Area, but he and Katrina were the only ones here. Then he bent down and brought his face close to Katrina's and whispered only one name to her. "Peter…"

Just as Katrina was going over the name in her mind, she heard the sound of a door opening. Both she and Bonnie looked up to see Chica and Golden stepping out of the kitchen. Chica was wiping the golden bear clean with a washcloth. Once she was done, Chica began to guide Golden back to the parts & service room in a motherly nature. When Katrina looked back at Bonnie, she quickly noticed that Bonnie was also watching them with an endearing look. And then Katrina realized it was Chica he was really staring at so lovingly.

"Bonnie?"

"Huh? Oh yeah…what was I saying?" Bonnie said blankly. He seemed to have forgotten that Katrina was there and appeared distracted. "Chica likes to help Golden Freddy keep clean. Because he's been out of commission for so long, he can get dusty and grimy. Chica may seem fragile but she's tougher than she looks. She likes to take care of things, which is why she's popular with the kids. Chica likes to teach kids the importance of sharing, having table manners and eating healthy. It's always been her theme, ya know?"

And while Katrina sat listening to Bonnie sing Chica's praises, she realized something else. "You have feelings for her, don't you?" Just as she suspected, Bonnie's reaction was one of embarrassment. Katrina however found it cute. "How long have you had this crush?"

"Ever since I first met her in 1st grade," Bonnie said warmly. "She was extremely pretty and wasn't snobby like the other girls. Chica has always been a loving person and accepted you as you were. She was a bit of a tomboy, but that's what I loved the most about her. She wasn't afraid to be herself and that really inspired me."

Katrina was deeply touched that Bonnie spoke such endearing words about Chica. "That's so sweet. Does Chica know what you think about her?"

But Bonnie's robotic bunny ears drooped and he sadly shook his head no. "Not really," he admitted. "I never had the guts to tell Chica. I've been trying for years. Until one day I finally got the courage to tell her my feelings. But unfortunately it was on the day that I…well…" Bonnie couldn't say anymore, and Katrina quietly understood. Even after death…Bonnie's feelings for Chica hadn't gone away.

"You should tell Chica," Katrina insisted. "It's not too late, Bonnie. You need to tell Chica now before you lose your chance for life."

"I can't…I'm too scared. Besides, what's the point?" Bonnie said sadly. "I'm not alive anymore. The life I've always wanted is forever gone. All that's left is to take revenge on the man who killed me." Bonnie looked away from Katrina and avoided her eyes. "I can't tell Chica… Not now, not like this."

Katrina wasn't having any of it. "That's nonsense and you know it! Chica is a nice girl and you should let her know how you feel. Come on Bonnie, I can help you! You just need to get your courage back."

"You don't get it… I can't tell her because I'm afraid I'm not the kind of boy she'll want," Bonnie told her. "What if I'm not good enough for Chica? She might prefer Freddy or Foxy, those two always were more popular than me! Or what if Chica doesn't like bunny rabbits, than what I am going to do?"

Katrina ignored all of Bonnie's insecurity woes and wanted to get him to stop being a coward. Maybe she could go find Chica and tell her that Bonnie had something important to say? Bonnie wouldn't listen to a single word she said and it only made Katrina more determined. She would get the animatronic bunny and chicken together if it was the last straw. Then it happened without warning… a bone-chilling laughter suddenly rang out from the darkness. It sent shivers through both Bonnie and Katrina who looked wildly around the Dining Area. From the darkness corner, a shadowy figure materialized and took on the shape of a familiar mascot of the pizzeria.

"It's him…," Katrina whispered fearfully. She instinctively hid behind Bonnie as Shadow Freddy stepped into view with his cat-like eyes and glowy-white teeth arranged into a creepy grin.

Bonnie narrowed his eyes angrily over at the black bear and protectively moved to shield Katrina at once. Shadow Freddy's eyes first looked down at the cowering Katrina, then up at Bonnie who bravely stood in his way. Bonnie didn't know why the shadowy bear was here. Nevertheless he steeled himself and prepared to deal with the enemy. No matter what happened, he had to keep Katrina safe. Shadow Freddy took a step toward them and then another.

" _ **Well, well… It's my beautiful little angel. How are you, Katrina?**_ " Shadow Freddy's eyes lit up at Katrina, causing her to retreat further from him. " _ **I was afraid I wouldn't see you again. I'm glad you're back. This means I can see you…**_ " Shadow Freddy came closer and closer.

"Stay back!" Bonnie snapped. He pointed a threatening finger over at Shadow Freddy. "Not another step. You stay away from Katrina, Shadow. Why don't you go lurk someplace else?"

Now Shadow Freddy did back off but glared coldly at Bonnie. " _ **Well if it isn't the purple loser of the gang. Look at you, pretending to be so cool. You're nothing but a coward. You can't do anything right.**_ " Next Shadow grinned down at Katrina and held out his hand to her. " _ **Come Katrina, this lousy insecure wimp isn't good company for you. Go with me instead. All you have to do is… follow me…**_ "

Katrina had no intention of going anywhere with this evil version of Freddy. She stayed close to Bonnie who wasn't paying attention to any of the insults Shadow Freddy was saying about him. "She's not going with you, Shadow," Bonnie said calmly. "Why are you here anyway? What do you want with Katrina?"

While trying to keep Shadow Freddy busy, Bonnie's eyes quickly looked around the Dining Area in the hopes of finding some light where he and Katrina could escape to in case the black bear got hostile. Unfortunately the Dining Area was pretty dark at night-time, so the shadowy bear had an advantage. Shadow Freddy knew this too, because he was sneering and his lifeless eyes twinkled calculatingly. Katrina grew worried and wondered if Bonnie was capable of taking on Shadow Freddy by himself.

" _ **I want Katrina to come with me. I can help her… Don't you believe that, Katrina?**_ " Shadow Freddy's dark voice was coaxing. _**Allow me to help her. I only want to be her friend.**_ "

"You're a liar," Bonnie accused. "The last thing anybody needs around here is your help, Shadow. I'm telling you one last time… Leave Katrina alone. Now go away! Don't make me get Freddy out here!"

Katrina let out a startled gasp as she felt a blast of ice cold air blow at her like a powerful wind. She watched to her horror as Shadow Freddy lost his patience and started snarling his teeth viciously at Bonnie. More disturbing was the way Shadow blended into the darkness so well that only his eyes and grin was visible. Katrina watched as Bonnie balled his hands into fists and got into a position like someone waiting for an incoming tidal wave. Katrina held onto Bonnie's waist tightly and hoped that the purple bunny could defend himself somehow.

" _ **Fine… If you insist on getting in the way, so be it. Oh and one more thing… Tell Freddy that I now know his weakness…**_ "

Bonnie and Katrina took cover when an enraged Shadow Freddy swept through them like a dark cloud. Katrina felt cold and numb all over and held onto Bonnie's arm for cover. It didn't last long. When she and Bonnie looked up and looked around, Shadow Freddy had vanished. The Dining Area was back to being empty and quiet. Bonnie breathed a sigh of relief and was feeling proud of himself. He successfully managed to chase Shadow Freddy away. Now he turned to make sure that Katrina was alright.

"Are you okay, Katrina?" Bonnie asked her. Katrina smiled reassuringly up at him and nodded. "Thank goodness. For a moment there, I was afraid Shadow Freddy was going to do us some serious mischief. Well not to worry, he's gone and hopefully won't be back."

"Yeah, hopefully," Katrina agreed. "You were really brave. I'm impressed on how you handled yourself," she said, causing the purple bunny to become bashful from the compliment.

A sudden scream ranged out, causing both Bonnie and Katrina to jump in alarm. Then from somewhere in the distance, they could hear someone crying out for help. "Help me Bonnie! Help! Shadow Freddy's got me! I can't get away! He's going to hurt to me! Please help me!"

To his horror, Bonnie realized that it sounded like Chica. "Oh no, it's Chica! Shadow Freddy must have gone after her! Come on Katrina, we have to help!" Together Bonnie and Katrina ran out of the Dining Area and down the hallway.

With each step he took, Bonnie grew more and more frantic in his desperation to find Chica. How dare Shadow Freddy! He wouldn't rest until he found that scheming shadow and made him pay for this. But where was Chica? He had to save her before Shadow did her any harm. Then Bonnie remembered that she went to the parts & service room earlier and decided to check there. Upon reaching the door, Bonnie burst into the room and quickly looked around. And he was in for a big surprise…

Chica was perfectly safe and was helping Golden Freddy tidy up the parts & service room by dusting away the cobwebs. They looked up at Bonnie who stood in the doorway out of breath. The room was well-lit, which meant Shadow Freddy couldn't be in here. He hadn't attacked Chica like he thought. Noticing the troubled look on Bonnie's face, Chica went over to him.

"Bonnie? What's wrong? You don't look so good," Chica said, eying him up and down in concern. "Hey wait, have you been running out in the halls?"

Instead on answering, Bonnie was so relieved to see her safe that he reached out and took Chica by the shoulders and pulled her to in for a hug. "Thank god, Chica. You're okay. I thought that Shadow Freddy had gotten you."

This was totally unexpected but Chica gladly comforted Bonnie by returning the warm embrace while feeling moved that the purple bunny had been that worried about her safety. When they drew apart, Chica gazed up at Bonnie with her soft amethyst-colored eyes and realized something for the first time. Bonnie was always there for her… Why had she never noticed Bonnie's devotion to her before? And now that he was here, Chica was slowly starting to have a deep appreciation for the ghost boy living inside Bonnie the Bunny.

"Wait a minute. Why did you think I was being attacked by Shadow Freddy?" Chica suddenly asked.

"Well Katrina and I were in the Dining Area talking. We encountered Shadow Freddy there and he was causing us trouble," Bonnie explained. "Luckily he left us alone. But then I heard your voice calling out for help. We got scared and came running here to see if you were okay."

"I'm okay. I was here the whole time with Golden Freddy. But wait… It wasn't my voice you heard. Then that can only mean…" Chica's voice trailed off. She and Bonnie exchanged uneasy looks.

"Where is Katrina?" Golden asked them.

Bonnie looked over his shoulder and saw that Katrina wasn't with him. Katrina was gone. Now visibly upset, Bonnie started calling out Katrina's name over and over while searching up and down the hallways in a panic. Both Chica and Golden joined him and all three animatronics tried looking for the lost girl. No matter where they looked, they couldn't locate Katrina anywhere.

"I don't believe it! How could this have happened?" Bonnie cried. "I thought she was behind me. How could she have disappeared? Why didn't I notice?"

"Calm down, Bonnie. Everything will be okay," Chica said soothingly. "Maybe Katrina is back at the Dining Area. Let's go look over there."

Bonnie, Chica and Golden hurried back to Dining Area and began looking around for Katrina there. They checked the bathrooms, the Employee Lounge, the Kitchen and even the Storage Closet. They called out to Katrina, but she never answered them back. This wasn't looking good. Katrina Marlowe has gone missing and they couldn't find her no matter where they looked. Chica and Golden were already starting to fear the worst and wondered what to do.

"I'm getting scared. Where is Katrina? Why can't we find her?" Chica said fretfully. "I must have searched every inch of the Dining Area and still no sign of her! She can't possibly be hiding!"

Bonnie stood there and was trying to figure it out. And then he knew what must have happened. "It was Shadow Freddy…" he realized. "I can't believe I didn't see it before! That shadowy monster tricked me! He must have mimicked Chica's voice and used it to lure me away!"

"Shadow Freddy must have snatched Katrina when you weren't looking. Shadow's got Katrina!" Chica said shrilly. "I don't get it! Why would he take her? What does he want with her?"

"I'll go get Freddy. You two keep looking for Katrina." With that, Golden Freddy went to go fetch the other bear animatronic as quickly as he could.

Bonnie and Chica continued to carefully look around every corner of the Dining Area in the hopes of finding Katrina. But it was no use. Shadow Freddy most likely took her and hidden her somewhere. Shadow Freddy could be anywhere in the restaurant and they didn't know what his motives were. Whatever it was, it had something to do with Katrina…

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 **Okay, I'm surprised that none of the readers called me out on this yet, but I'm obviously a Bonnica fan. No offense to the other respective FNAF shippings! So far the secret identity of Bonnie has been revealed in this chapter. Just for fun, why don't the readers try matching which ghost kid ended up possessing which animatronic? For now, I'm working on the next chapter. Be good, my FNAF readers!**


	14. Shadow Freddy, the soul-devourer

**Starting from where we last left off, here's the latest chapter to follow the last one. Thanks for the reviews, FNAF readers. I've gotten a lot of compliments on what a well-written story this was. What can I say? Whenever writing a good story, I don't mess around. I like to get in a good storyline and try to give the characters actual character-development and personalities. Other than that, I hope the story is proving to be one that readers can truly enjoy.**

* * *

The animatronics had a very grim situation on their hands. Katrina Marlowe had gone missing and couldn't be found. According to Bonnie, the only explanation for it was that Shadow Freddy took Katrina and went somewhere with her. After Golden filled Freddy in on what happened, the first thing the mascot bear did was order the others to find Shadow Freddy and fast. If they found Shadow, they would find Katrina. Chica, Golden and Foxy split up and began to search every room in the entire pizzeria. Everyone was overwrought with worry, but nobody was more stressed out than Bonnie who blamed himself.

"It's all my fault, Freddy. I'm so sorry. I turned my back on her. If anything bad happens to Katrina, it'll be on me." Bonnie was in tears and spoke in a defeated voice. "We've got to find her. I don't want to be responsible for Katrina getting hurt."

Freddy patted Bonnie comfortingly on the back. He was anxious to go look for Katrina himself, but first he needed to take care of Bonnie. "Don't worry, Bonnie. Everything will be alright. We'll find Katrina. I want you to stay here and get it together. When you're up to it, go help the others, ok?"

Once he calmed Bonnie down, Freddy gave the purple bunny's shoulder one final squeeze before heading out to look for Katrina. Using both the night-vision and the scanner of his robotic eyes, Freddy found it disconcerting that he couldn't locate Katrina anywhere with them. Was it possible that Katrina wasn't in the building anymore? No, that couldn't be. Shadow Freddy couldn't leave the restaurant either… So where on earth did he take Katrina?

Freddy ended up at the Prize Corner and began looking around there. He checked behind the counters, searched through the pile of plush dolls, and even checked behind the Puppet's big music box. Katrina wasn't here, but Freddy did see that someone else was missing. Freddy couldn't help noticing that the Puppet wasn't inside its music box, which meant that the Puppet was out and about… Freddy wondered where the Puppet went.

"Great. That's two people we've got to search for now," Freddy murmured to himself. Now he exited the Prize Corner and wondered where to search next. "Katrina! Where are you! If you're nearby, call to me!" Freddy listened carefully but it was unnervingly quiet in the restaurant. He was starting to panic and feared that Katrina might be injured or worse.

Then Freddy knew that there was one other place he could try searching. The animatronic bear carefully followed the familiar route toward the restrooms. Chica had already searched both rooms, but there was still no sign of Katrina. But that wasn't where Freddy wanted to look. Once again, Freddy stared straight ahead and took a step forward, another step, and then another step until… ERROR! Not for the first time, Freddy was halted mid-way and couldn't get any closer. But there was something there…

"Katrina? Are you back there? Can you hear me? It's Freddy!" As he expected, there was no answer. But Freddy's instincts told him that there was something else here. For now, Freddy decided to retreat and stay away from the out-of-bounds zone.

It was dark inside this room, Katrina couldn't see a thing. Slowly blinking her eyes open, she realized that she lay sprawled on the ground. She had a hard time remembering what happened. Chica had been crying out for help…She and Bonnie had come running…And then she felt shadowy hands reach out and yank her back into the darkness, causing her to pass out. Katrina sat up and looked around the room she was in. She hasn't been in this room before. All she could make out was a large circular table with a lot of swivel chairs. Looks like some kind of meeting room…

Katrina let out a gasp when she realized she wasn't in here alone. Standing there before her was Shadow Freddy who'd been watching her the entire time. Her heart thumping in fright, Katrina quickly climbed to her feet and stared up at the black bear in horror. So Shadow Freddy was the one who took her away. But for once, Shadow Freddy didn't appear interested in scaring her. There was a thoughtful scowl on his shadowy face, and he was studying Katrina with those eerily white eyes. For a moment, neither of them spoke…Then Shadow Freddy lowered his head and brought his face close to Katrina's until they were eye-to-eye.

"What do you want?" Katrina asked in a trembling voice. She tried to be brave and kept telling herself that Freddy would come for her.

" _ **Let me ask you…Why do you stay here**_?" Shadow asked her. This question greatly surprised Katrina. Shadow was looking at her seriously, and he repeated the question. " _ **Why do you stay here?**_ " Still Katrina didn't know how to answer, and Shadow's scowl deepens. " _ **You think you know the story behind Freddy Fazbear's Pizza? You know nothing. There are a lot of secrets here, not even a child like you would ever be able to comprehend them.**_ "

However Katrina wasn't really listening to a word Shadow Freddy was saying. Instead her eyes spied the door and she was already thinking about making a run for it. Unfortunately Shadow read her mind and used his big size to block the door. His supernatural presence seemed to make the shadows come to life, and the temperature in the room turn ice-cold. Shadow was trapping in her this room and she had no chance of escape. Katrina thought of screaming out for help, maybe the animatronics would be able to hear her. But Shadow Freddy squashed that last hope she had.

" _ **It's pointless to scream, my dear. I've put a shadowy barrier around this room. No one will be able to find you here. Not even that meddling golden bear…**_ "Katrina fearfully backed up against the wall as Shadow started to advance on her. " _ **We're alone… It's time for you and me to get to know each other.**_ "

"Stay away from me! I don't want to be your friend!" Katrina said angrily. She turned and tried running the other way, but Shadow Freddy was frightfully fast and moved like a shadow. Again he thwarted Katrina's attempts to reach the door. "Stop it! You can't keep me here!"

Now Katrina ducked under the table in her desperation to put distance between her and the evil black bear. She wrapped her arms tightly around her knees and prayed that Freddy would find her in time. Shadow Freddy was laughing cruelly, and she could see his black form moving around the table. She hoped he wouldn't chase her. Katrina didn't know how long she could keep outrunning Shadow Freddy. Luckily Shadow didn't go under the table after her but did continue to mock her with his dark voice.

" _ **Why do you run away? What are you so afraid of?**_ " Shadow enjoyed watching Katrina cower under the table. He could smell her fear. " _ **I know what you're afraid of…**_ " Shadow said knowingly. " _ **You're afraid to face the truth. You know the reason why your parents aren't with you. Where are they, Katrina? Why aren't they here?**_ "

Katrina was suddenly reminded of her nightmare. She was starting to remember standing in the middle of the road, staring at the blazing fire, shocked on what her decision had cost her. No…she didn't want to remember. But Shadow Freddy wasn't going to let her forget. Shadow Freddy who was an embodiment of fear and despair. Try as she might, Katrina wanted to suppress her traumatic memories.

" _ **You can't deny the truth any longer. You know what you did. And now you have to live with it for the rest of your life. But don't worry Katrina…**_ " Shadow Freddy approached the table and was tempted to peek underneath it to see the terrified look on her face. " _ **There's no shame in feeling guilt. Your parents are no longer around, and it's all because of you. You've been in a dark place ever since…**_ "

While Shadow Freddy's wicked laughter rang out, Katrina covered both her ears and tried to ignore the shadowy bear. This wasn't doing her any good. Just when she was feeling trapped; suddenly the Puppet's advice came back to her. She was warned about Shadow Freddy's conniving ways, but she was also told that the best defense against Shadow was to not give in to fear. So there was only one thing to do…

Frowning determinedly to herself, Katrina crawled out from under the table and stood straight up to face the mischievous shadow. She was scared and her heart was pounding like crazy in her chest, but Katrina wasn't going to be bullied anymore. Shadow Freddy's eyes lit up at the sight of her and his grin widened. Now Katrina took a deep breath and boldly faced the black bear, all while trying to overcome her fear. This was the only way she could fight back.

"That's enough," Katrina said in her strongest voice. "I'm not afraid. You can't scare me. I want you to let me go."

However Shadow Freddy only laughed and wasn't taking her seriously. He knew she was still afraid, he knew because he could still sense it. Shadow Freddy approached Katrina and came closer and closer. Katrina stared boldly into those icy eyes and didn't dare look away. It took all her willpower to not turn and run. The next thing she knew, the shadowy bear towered over her and he bent down to stare into her very soul.

" _ **Not afraid, you say? I admire your courage, Katrina. But let's put it to the test, shall we?**_ " Shadow's eyes glisten ominously and Katrina felt the cold air immobilize her. She shuddered but didn't break eye-contact with the black bear. " _ **Still not afraid? I wonder how long you'll last.**_ " Then the whole room was cast into pitch darkness. It was so cold… Katrina couldn't move and her eyes started to watered. " _ **I know you're afraid. I see it in your eyes. You have good reason to be afraid…**_ " Shadow Freddy was growing stronger, Katrina could feel it.

Katrina saw nothing but darkness… It was like something born out of her nightmares. She felt numb from the unforgiving cold wafting in the air. And she could hear her own heart pounding faster and faster. The longer she stood staring into Shadow Freddy's unfeeling eyes, the weaker she became. It was too much, she couldn't fight it. Katrina tried to open her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Shadow Freddy had her under his control, and he wouldn't stop until she succumbed to fear.

" _ **Remarkable… Most of my victims don't last this long. They usually break down by now…**_ " Shadow smiled triumphantly when he saw the panic in Katrina's eyes when she realized she couldn't get away. His power was too great for her, which meant he could take her. " _ **Stop fighting it, Katrina. You know I've won. You're mine now…**_ " Shadow Freddy reached out to take her away. _**"No one can help you. But I will… Follow me…**_ " he whispered to her.

Without warning, the clicking of the door unlocking caught both their attentions. Katrina and Shadow looked up in time to see the door creaking open. Katrina thought for sure that it would be Freddy Fazbear coming to rescue her. But it turned out to be the Puppet… Katrina stared over at the Puppet in surprise and wondered how it managed to find her. Upon the Puppet's arrival, the pitch blackness in the room vanished and the cold temperature disappeared too. Shadow Freddy snarled at the sight of the Puppet.

" _ **You**_!" Shadow Freddy growled nastily. " _ **How in the world did you get through my barrier? I thought I had this room impenetrable**_!"

The Puppet wasn't the least bit fazed by the threatening presence of Shadow Freddy. It stared coolly over at the monstrous shadowy bear. " _Your tricks don't work on everyone, Shadow. I could sense you from a mile off_ …" The Puppet turned its head to Katrina who still stood rooted to the floor. " _It's okay, Katrina. You can move now_."

To her surprise, Katrina was able to move her body again. She still felt cold to the bone, but she was perfectly alright. The Puppet's spirit must have been very strong to be able to counterattack Shadow's power like that. And thanks to the Puppet, she got back her strength. Unfortunately Shadow Freddy wasn't about to give her up that easily. The black bear angrily stood in between her and the Puppet. Shadow glared hatefully down at the marionette.

" _ **What are you doing here anyway? Have you come to take back the girl?**_ " Shadow Freddy flashed his teeth menacingly and sneered. " _ **I love to see you try…**_ "

However the Puppet ignored Shadow Freddy and instead held out its clawed-hand to Katrina and kindly waved her over. " _Come Katrina, Freddy and the others are looking for you. Come where it's safe._ _"_

Katrina started to take a step forward, only to cry out when Shadow Freddy blocked her off. Shadow was getting angrier. " _ **Grrrrr! Katrina's not going anywhere! She's mine! If you keep getting in my way…"**_ Shadow threatened.

The Puppet continued to pay no attention whatsoever to the ferocious shadow, and Katrina had to admire the Puppet's audacity. " _Don't listen to him, Katrina. Remember what I told you?_ _"_ The Puppet was so calm despite Shadow Freddy's monstrous growls. " _He can't hurt you, Katrina. I won't let him_."

Then Katrina watched in horror as Shadow Freddy finally lost his temper and turned toward the Puppet. " _ **Grrrrowl! I've had enough of you! This time I'll break that ugly mask of yours!**_ " Shadow Freddy raised his sharp-clawed hands and lunged at the Puppet with jaws opened wide.

"Puppet, run!" Katrina screamed before she knew it.

Suddenly a blinding bright light flashed out of nowhere. The light was so powerful that it blew Shadow Freddy back and seemed to have temporarily stunned him. It happened so fast that Katrina had to shield her own eyes. But when she looked up, she saw that the Puppet was gone. Thank goodness, it appears that the Puppet managed to get away. But where did the bright light come from? Then to Katrina's bigger relief, she heard the sound of Freddy's voice calling to her from a distance. It was Freddy Fazbear! He's finally found her!

"Freddy! I'm over here!" Katrina called. She saw her chance to escape and ran for the open door.

Unfortunately she wasn't fast enough… Shadow Freddy was already recovering from the blinding light, and reached out and grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt. The shadowy bear glared furiously down at the terrified Katrina. No longer looking amused, Shadow Freddy was looking more dangerous than ever. Holding her in an iron grip, Shadow also heard Freddy Fazbear heading in their direction as well.

" _ **Curse that puppet for distracting me! One of these days, I'll my revenge on that pesky puppet!**_ " Shadow raged. Then he grinned manically while lifting Katrina off her feet and choking her in his deadly grip. " _ **But there's still Freddy to deal with… I wonder how far he's willing to go in order to get back his precious girl.**_ " Shadow's grip tightened; and Katrina passed out until all she saw was darkness.

Freddy moved as fast as he could toward the Meeting Room. Thanks to the Puppet's interference, he knew where Katrina was. He heard her voice calling out for him. The Puppet also warned Freddy that Shadow Freddy was there as well. He would fight his shadowy counterpart if he had to. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to Katrina. Upon reaching the Meeting Room, the door was already left open. Freddy hurried inside and prayed that Katrina was okay. The first thing he saw was Katrina lying unconscious on the ground with Shadow Freddy looming over her. At the sight of the black bear, Freddy angrily marched over to confront him.

"Shadow! This is the end of your game! You've caused enough trouble tonight!" Freddy spun around when he heard the door slam shut behind him. Now he was trapped in the room with Shadow Freddy. But there were bigger things to worry about. "Let Katrina go, Shadow," Freddy demanded. "Just let her go and deal with me."

Shadow Freddy grinned at Freddy with an evil glint in his cat-like eyes. " _ **You know I can't do that, Freddy. You know what I want…**_ " Shadow looked hungrily at Katrina sprawled out before him. " _ **I need fear and despair and the darkness. I'm nothing without it. Katrina is fresh meat. She can make me stronger. I want her…**_ "

"You don't want her!" Freddy argued. He hoped to talk Shadow out of this. "Isn't this place dark enough for you? Katrina is innocent, she doesn't deserve this. I won't let you turn her into a victim!" Freddy took a step forward and realized that he had no choice but to fight. It was the only way he could free Katrina.

" _ **Stay back**_!" Shadow warned. With that, he took his big paw and threatened to enclose it around Katrina's neck. " _ **Stay where you are or I'll crush her neck! Surely you don't want another kid's death on your conscience, do you Freddy?**_ "

Freddy backed away while gritting his teeth at the sinister shadow that looked so much like him. This was a bad situation to be caught in. His first priority was to get Katrina away from Shadow Freddy. If he could do that, then he would have no trouble taking down Shadow himself. Now Freddy gazed sadly down at poor Katrina who was lying there so helplessly. There had to be a way he could get to her. Shadow read Freddy's mind and knew what the brown bear's weakness was.

" _ **Do you want to save her, Freddy? Does she mean that much to you?**_ " Shadow Freddy jeered. " _ **How about we make a deal?**_ " Shadow saw he had Freddy's attention and so he continued. " _ **I will gladly to let Katrina go. But in return…I want your soul, Freddy. Give me your soul, and I will let Katrina go.**_ " Freddy looked worriedly down at Katrina, then up at Shadow's devious grin. " _ **Make your choice. Either I have your soul or hers. Make your choice, Freddy…**_ "

This was not good. Freddy knew better than to make any deals with Shadow Freddy. But if he didn't, Katrina would be the one to pay. So there was only thing he could do… "If I let you have my soul, you swear you'll let Katrina go?" Freddy asked suspiciously.

" _ **You have my word,"**_ Shadow promised. " _ **I'll leave Katrina alone. Once I have your soul, I'll be free to suck all the negative energy I want. But if you refuse… I'll take Katrina instead**_."

From behind Shadow Freddy, a door quietly opened. The Employee Lounge was connected to the Meeting Room. And standing in the doorway was Bonnie who held his red guitar like a weapon and was staring determinedly over at Shadow Freddy who hadn't noticed the purple bunny enter. Freddy pretended not to see Bonnie and focused on keeping Shadow Freddy's attention on him. Freddy made his decision…

"You win, Shadow. I'll give you my soul," Freddy said with a defeated sigh. "I'd do anything to protect Katrina. Now I want you to let her go. And this time I want you to stay away from her." Freddy secretly watched as Bonnie began to sneak up behind Shadow with his guitar raised like a club.

Shadow's wicked grin widened eagerly. " _ **Good choice, Freddy. Let's seal the deal, shall we?**_ " Shadow held out his hand. " _ **Shake on it**_?"

Having no other choice, Freddy started forward and reached out to shake Shadow's hand. But he pulled his hand back at the last second and quickly signaled to Bonnie. Shadow Freddy turned around in time to see Bonnie about to strike him with his red guitar. The shadowy bear ducked just in time as the guitar swung over his head and he became distracted at once. This was Freddy's chance and he angrily rammed into Shadow Freddy with all his strength and watched with satisfaction as the shadowy bear stumbled and disappeared back into the darkness. Freddy and Bonnie could hear the sounds of Shadow Freddy throwing a temper tantrum through the walls until finally there was silence…

"Is he gone?" Bonnie asked, looking around the room carefully.

"Yeah. Knowing that coward, he's probably gone back to hiding in the shadows," Freddy said. "I saw that look in his eyes… He wanted to take both my soul and Katrina's. Shadow Freddy always was so greedy."

With Shadow Freddy out of the way, Freddy hurried over to Katrina's side and carefully brought her into his arms. She felt cold but she was alright. From the looks of it, it seemed that Shadow Freddy had done a real number on her. Katrina must have fought with everything she had and Freddy admired her for it. Katrina stirred in his arms and opened her eyes and looked up at him. Freddy smiled warmly at her and realized how absolutely elated he was to have her back.

"Hey there sleepy-head. We've been looking everywhere for you. You've had us all so worried." There Freddy turned and carried her out of the Meeting Room and into the Employee Lounge. "You're safe now, Katrina. I gave Shadow Freddy a good overthrowing he'll never forget."

Katrina took comfort in Freddy's warm embrace and was finally able to relax for the first time. "I knew you'd come for me, Freddy," she whispered sleepily.

Freddy lowered her onto the sofa and knelt down beside her. "You've been having a lot of adventures here," Freddy told her. "No wonder you keep coming back. You're a very funny girl. But I've never met anyone like you before. You really are different, Katrina Marlowe."

Katrina felt flattered by Freddy's kind words. She looked up and found herself facing Bonnie who was looking very ashamed. "I'm really sorry, Katrina," Bonnie apologized to her. "It was because of me that you got captured by Shadow Freddy. I never should have taken my eyes off you. I'm sorry."

Now Katrina reached out and patted Bonnie's cheek with a smile. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault," she assured the purple bunny. "I'm happy to see you."

At that moment, the door burst open and in came Chica, Golden and Foxy all happy to see that Katrina had been found. And Katrina was happy to see all of them. Surprisingly the Puppet was the only one not here and she had a feeling that clever little marionette had returned to its music box. The Puppet was a strange one all right but she was grateful all the same. With all the animatronics in the room with her, Katrina was feeling a lot better now.

"Too bad tha' yellow-belly Shadow Freddy ran off. I woulda loved to haul his sorry-hide ter the nearest plank!" Foxy said. "Shadow better pray he don' run into me! I'll swipe em' wit' me hook hand!"

"That's the spirit, Foxy. Which is why it'll be your job to make sure Shadow Freddy doesn't come back," Freddy told the pirate fox. "I want you and Golden to keep an eye out. If you spot that shadow sneaking around, you have my permission to chase him away however you want."

"Yar har har har… now that be a rule I can follow!" Foxy grinned gleefully. "Finally yer lettin' me have fun again, Cap'n!"

Then Freddy saw Katrina yawn and lay herself down onto the couch. He didn't blame her for being tired after what she's been through. It was time to call it a night. "Alright gang, Katrina is very exhausted and needs rest. Everybody out now," Freddy dismissed the others.

After saying good-nights, the other animatronics left to go back to their respective places in the pizzeria. Freddy stayed behind to grab a blanket and tucked Katrina in to make her warm and comfortable. He ran his paw through her long soft hair and thought about his feelings for her. He didn't understand why she kept coming back here, but maybe it didn't matter. Katrina felt great compassion for them and she accepted them for who they were inside the animatronic suits. She was the kind of girl Freddy had always dreamed of falling in love with. But he didn't want to just dream about it anymore…

Gazing at Katrina's sleeping face, Freddy decided to let her get some sleep. But when he turned around to leave, Katrina's soft voice stopped him. "Freddy?" He looked back and saw Katrina was staring at him with those brown-doe eyes. "Were you really going to do it?"

"Do what?" Freddy went back over to her.

"I was awake and I heard the whole thing," Katrina confessed. "Were you really going to give Shadow Freddy your soul just to save me? Would you have really done it?"

Freddy didn't even have to think about it. "Yes. I would give my soul without hesitation if I thought it was going to save your life. I promised that I would keep you safe, remember?" he reminded her.

But then Freddy saw Katrina burst into tears and he quickly became concerned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Wiping away her tears with the blanket, Katrina gazed up at Freddy Fazbear, this noble bear animatronic who had become her protector. "I'm sorry…it's just… That was a very brave thing you did back there. Nobody has ever done something like that for me before. I used to be alone…but now that I've met you, I finally have someone I can depend on. I know it's silly to feel this way toward an animatronic of all things."

"It's not silly at all," Freddy said kindly, and watched as Katrina closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Freddy watched her and felt his heart swell with affection. She wasn't just another kid for him to entertain; she was someone he could love. He wouldn't have to worry about Shadow Freddy for now, so he could sleep easy tonight. But somehow Freddy didn't want to return to the Show Stage, and instead was perfectly content to stand here and watch Katrina sleep. The more he watched her, the more connected he felt to her. And for the first time ever… Freddy began to wish he was alive. He wanted to be a boy again. He'd sell his soul to be with Katrina even if it were only for a few minutes.

* * *

 **I'm proud of how I portray Shadow Freddy as a villain. As far as FNAF games go, I wouldn't want to encounter Shadow Freddy as an actual animatronic coming after you. Imagine how fun it'd be trying to keep him at bay. You'd probably have to use the flashlight to scare him off or something. It doesn't help that Shadow Freddy is cunning and would try to find clever ways to enter the security room. What do you readers think? Can't wait for the new FNAF Sister Location game. The new animatronics looked promising. Welp that's all we have today, see you next time!**


	15. Little ghost in a big bear

**Sorry this took a while. I've been having trouble uploading my chapters for some reason. I've finally managed to get it to go through. Here's the latest new chapter. Have fun reading!**

* * *

 _It was the same dream again…And just like before, Katrina was standing there all alone in the road…nothing but pitch darkness around her. Once again, she stood staring into the blazing fire and felt torn for the first time. Part of her wanted to go to them; they were waiting for her there. But then there was the part of her that began to have doubts. Was this truly what she wanted? Would going into the flames really end all her guilt? Katrina took a step forward and waited for the fire to welcome her. Instead she took a step back and realized that she was scared on what was on the other side…_

" _You're hesitating this time, I see. I thought this was what you wanted…" The strange mysterious voice was back again. It sounded familiar… Who was it?_

" _You don't know what I want," Katrina said stubbornly. "I'm so tired of running away. The pain never ends…the pain of living. I don't want to live if it means I have to be alone."_

 _The hidden voice echoed back to her, soft and comforting, "You're not alone, Katrina. I'm here, aren't I? What's happening to you isn't a punishment. Don't you see? You're growing stronger, that's why the flames can't touch you. You don't have to be alone; you only choose to be alone. Can't you understand?"_

 _Katrina listened to the kind echoing voice and then had a suspicious thought. "Wait…Are you…is this Freddy? Is that you, Freddy? Are you here?" She called out into the deep darkness of her dream._

 _However the mysterious voice only chuckled softly at her. "You've done a very good job of taking care of Freddy's heart. But please let Freddy do the same for you. Talk to him, Katrina. You can't hold this pain inside forever. Let Freddy help you…"_

" _Hey wait! Who are you? How do you know so much? Where are you? I'm not done talking!" Katrina cried out, looking around in the darkness for the mysterious figure. She didn't hear the echoing voice again._

Katrina opened her eyes and realized that she'd only been dreaming. Although it was a far more interesting dream than the last one she had. And that voice…she knew she heard it before. Now she sat up and looked down at her wrist-watch to see that it was only 5:00AM. Feeling wide awake, Katrina decided to leave the restaurant early this time. Quickly packing up all her belongings, she headed for the door and peeked out. It was still dark inside the pizzeria and she saw Freddy, Bonnie and Chica standing immobile on the Show Stage. Their eyes were closed, they appeared to be asleep.

Quietly so as not to wake them, Katrina tiptoed her way through the Dining Area. Before leaving, Katrina needed to see someone first. She went down to the empty Prize Corner and looked over at the music box that contained the Puppet inside it. She wondered if the puppet was fast asleep too. Katrina started to turn away, but the tunes of My Grandfather's Clock stopped her. Then she saw the lid open and the Puppet rise ghost-like from its box. It was as if it knew she was coming and it had been patiently waiting…

" _You're up awfully early. Is everything alright_?" The Puppet asked her as it floated down to sit on top of its box where it had a good view of Katrina.

"I'm fine. Just wanted to get an early start today," Katrina explained. She had a reason for coming here. "I wanted to thank you for protecting me from Shadow Freddy. If it hadn't been for you, Freddy wouldn't have found me in time."

" _You're quite welcome, Katrina. I do what I can."_ The Puppet smiled modestly.

"You were really great," Katrina said impressed. "How did you break through Shadow's barrier anyway? He told me that no one would ever be able…" Katrina stopped talking when she saw the Puppet's benign expression turn to one of alert. "Huh? What is it? What's wrong?" she asked the Puppet.

And that was when they both heard it. Somewhere in the distance, Katrina heard the scariest noises ever. There were heavy footsteps, which sounded like something "big" was wandering around the halls. But the most disturbing sound of all was the raspy breathing that sounded more like evil cackling. There were other erratic metallic noises too, which sounded like something was malfunctioning. Katrina didn't know who or what it was, but it was coming closer and it had Katrina spooked.

The Puppet acted fast by shutting off its music box and quickly grabbing Katrina by the wrist and pulling her away. " _Quick! Hide behind my music box and don't utter a sound! Do you hear me_?"

"But Puppet…who is…"

" _No time! You must hide at once! Whatever you do, don't make a sound! The sound of children's voices attracts "him." Stay there and don't come out until I tell you to!_ The Puppet ordered.

Karina obediently hid behind the music box just as the Puppet darted back inside it. She didn't know what was going on. But then she heard it… Something was walking by the Prize Corner. Katrina could make out its shadow and saw a frightening shape. Whatever it was…it looked unnatural. And it continued making those horrible crazed noises which now sounded like screeching. She covered her mouth and tried not to make a sound. Luckily the horrifying figure didn't hang around the Prize Corner for long and eventually moved on somewhere else in the restaurant.

The second the dreadful thing went away, the Puppet popped back out of its box and was looking furious. " _It's him… He's gotten out again…This can't be good._ At that exact moment, Golden Freddy appeared and was looking very alarmed himself. " _Good timing, Golden. I need you to see Katrina safely out. "He" showed up again…He's out there right now…"_

Despite her fear, Katrina was also curious. "What's going on here? Is it Shadow Freddy?"

The Puppet shook its head while still looking very fierce. " _No. I'm afraid it's something much worse. Something so dangerous that it makes Shadow Freddy look harmless in comparison."_ The Puppet turned to Katrina and it was looking more serious than she's ever seen it. " _Now would be a good time for you to leave, Katrina. Golden will escort you. I'd appreciate it if you kept quiet about this._ "

Katrina nodded and didn't dare to argue. Somehow she was able to sense the Puppet giving off a powerful aura. The Puppet was scary when it was mad… Whatever was lurking around in the restaurant was clearly an enemy. Without another word, she hurried out of the Prize Corner with Golden Freddy by her side. Ten minutes later… Golden Freddy came back alone after making sure Katrina left the building. And now he and the Puppet had something to worry about.

"Where did he go?" Golden asked. "How did he get out again?"

" _I don't know. He's getting smarter; I'll give him that…"_ The Puppet frowned angrily. Then it gestured for Golden to follow it. " _The others can't know about this. It's for their protection. The only thing we can do is stop him for now…and lock him up again._ "

Golden didn't like the idea of keeping this a secret from the others. But if it was the best way to keep everyone in the restaurant safe, he would gladly to do it. Together Golden and the Puppet went off to look for the threatening monster that was stalking the hallways while Freddy and the others slept unaware. Hopefully this time "he" wouldn't put up much of a fight.

Katrina returned to the house in time to crawl into her bed and sleep for a while. She was still tired from last night's events. Although she couldn't help but wonder what other dangers were lurking at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza? If Shadow Freddy was one, what was the other? Another thing that troubled her was the strange dreams she was starting to have. She knew it was supposed to mean something, but she just couldn't think of what that was right now. Katrina closed her eyes to take a nap.

Later around 1:00 PM, Katrina finally woke up and was feeling refreshed and energized. Looking out the window, she saw the sky was a clear blue and felt a nice breeze blowing in. Perfect day for visiting the pizzeria… Today Katrina decided she wanted to look nice for Freddy when she would later go to see him. She put on her favorite sky-blue tee and matching pink shorts, while combing out the knots in her long honey-hair before pulling it into a high ponytail.

Then Katrina went downstairs and was just strapping on her favorite white sandals when out of nowhere the four other girls suddenly surrounded her. Tracy, Danielle, Gina and Jackie were blocking the front door and all of them were eying her suspiciously. Katrina couldn't understand why they were gathered here and looking at her like that until Tracy stepped forward with arms folded over her chest.

"There you see, girls? Didn't I tell you? She is dolling herself up for someone," said Tracy. Now she pointed an accusing finger at Katrina. "Alright out with it girl! Who are you going to go see? And don't play innocent with me!"

Katrina was genuinely confused and looked at Tracy's frowning face. It was Danielle who explained. "Uh…what Tracy means is… Are you seeing someone? Who is he?" Danielle eagerly asked Katrina.

"I don't know. Maybe she's not seeing anyone," Gina said doubtfully.

"Oh please Gina, you're so clueless," Danielle chided the younger girl. "Katrina is always putting on nice clothes and fixing her hair. There's only one reason a girl has for doing things like that. I'm really curious; I want to know who the guy is."

Finally Katrina had enough of their silly gossiping. "What are you guys talking about?" She asked them.

"We want to know if you're seeing a boy," Tracy told her. "Every day you disappear somewhere and we don't hear from you for hours. You're always putting on pretty outfits so that must mean you're showing off for someone. Is it a boy? Are you dating someone?"

"Yeah! What's the boy's name? Is he cute or handsome?" Danielle piped up.

"What's he like? Is he a nice boy? Where did you meet him? Can we meet him too?" Gina asked.

They all waited for Katrina to say something, but she only stood there and felt tongue-tied. This was so awkward. They all thought she was dating someone? She thought about Freddy Fazbear and for first time ever began to question their relationship. Tracy and Danielle both stood with arms crossed and were waiting for answers, Gina was looking curious while Jackie had an unreadable expression on her face. Katrina quickly tried coming up with a proper explanation of what she's been up to.

"You've got it all wrong. I'm only going to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza for fun. It's not what you think," Katrina said. She hoped this would convince them to leave her alone, but it wasn't good enough.

Tracy now looked very annoyed with her. "You're lying! I know you are!" She bullied. "Is that where you're going to go meet your secret boyfriend? Well I want to come too! I also want to meet this boy." Then Tracy smirked mockingly at Katrina. "Unless you're afraid that I'll steal him away from you?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Katrina said irritably at the bratty blond girl. "I'm not seeing a boy! I'm really seeing…" But then she pictured Freddy's face in her mind and blushed. It's not like she was dating Freddy, right?

"Hey I want to come too!" Danielle pleaded. "I want to know what he looks like. What's he like? Is he romantic? Does he give you gifts? How long have you been seeing him?"

"Is it okay if I come along?" Gina asked while looking very excited. "I want to go to Freddy's! I want to see Bonnie again! Please can I come too?"

Katrina hardly had a chance to talk them out of it. She thought up a million excuses that she could give, but they all seemed determined to meet her mystery boy. The only problem was is that her mystery boy was an animatronic… Strangely enough, Jackie was the only one who hadn't asked her any questions. The brunette was scrutinizing her but hasn't said anything. Katrina found herself more worried about what Jackie was thinking. Surely Jackie didn't know the truth about her?

"Oh okay… I guess you can all come along," Katrina finally gave in. "I'm not sure if…if he'll be on time. He's known for being…late?" How was she going to pull this off?

Things only got more complicated later on… Katrina arrived at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza with the four girls in tow. They followed her all the way here and did nothing but talk about the boy they thought they were going to meet. So many times Katrina seriously considered running away from them, but then they would only think her a jerk. How did she get herself into this mess? She couldn't tell them the truth about the animatronics here. She was sworn to secrecy. Now that she was here, Katrina wondered what to do next.

Danielle was looking around the crowded Dining Area. "Do you see him?" she asked Katrina. "Is the boy here? Just point him out to us."

But Katrina was staring over at Freddy Fazbear who stood onstage and was inviting kids to come closer so that he could play with them. This giant gentle bear animatronic with the big heart… But there was a ghost boy inside him. For a moment she wondered how she truly felt about Freddy. No, she was being stupid. A lot of girls adored Freddy Fazbear, she was no different. Then Freddy's head turned and his blue eyes spotted her in the crowd. His expression transformed and was filled with so much happiness and warmth that she could feel it from here. To think he was once a grouchy bitter bear, and now he was lovable and kind.

"What are you staring at?" Tracy's rude voice interrupted. "Well? Where's the boy you're seeing?" Then she became more persistent. "Say, you've never told us his name."

"His name?" Katrina had been distracted by Freddy that she'd forgotten about the predicament she was in. "Right…his name is…um…" She looked at the jolly Freddy and her heart leaped. "Freddy…"

"Freddy? That's his name?" said an unimpressed Tracy. "What's his last name?"

Katrina forced herself to look away and deal with Tracy's constant badgering. "I don't know his last name because it's…it's hard to pronounce. Anyway he's not here."

"What do you mean he's not here?" said a disappointed Danielle. "Are you telling me he stood you up? What kind of guy does that to a girl? That's so mean!"

"No, no! It's not like that! What I meant is…," Katrina was making a mess of it. If she was going to tell lies, she needed to get her story straight. "Just wait right here. I'll go look for him in the crowd. He could be anywhere, ya know?" With that, Katrina hurried away and hoped to think up a solution to her problem. The other girls watched her leave and immediately started talking.

"That girl is hiding something," Danielle observed. "I wonder why she's so nervous. Who's this Freddy anyway? I don't know any boys name Freddy. Although it's funny that he shares the same name with the mascot of this place."

"Hmmph…I always thought it was a stupid name," Tracy said nastily. "And why meet a boy here? This pizzeria is far from a romantic place. The boy must have awful taste."

Gina however wasn't interested in what was going on and had other things on her mind. "Well if you gals will excuse me, I've got a date with a bunny!" With that, Gina hurried off to meet with her favorite character Bonnie the Bunny.

Jackie had to admit that she was also curious to know who Katrina was seeing in private. It might also explain why Katrina was sneaking out of the house at night. She felt jealous at the thought that Katrina might have found someone. Now that she was back at the pizzeria, a lot of kids remembered her as the winner of the Art Contest. Like always whenever people tried to get a good look at her face, Jackie only hid herself away. She hated drawing attention to herself…

"Hey since I'm here, I want to go visit the fox animatronic. I really liked that one!" With that, Danielle started heading over to the Pirate Cove, home of Foxy the Pirate Fox.

But Jackie had a bad feeling about it. She hadn't forgotten about overhearing Katrina talking to someone in there. That pirate fox was dangerous. "Wait up Danielle! Hold on! Don't go in there!"

"Huh?" Danielle stopped and turned back to look at her in surprise. "What are you going on about?"

"I think the stories about this place might be true," Jackie explained. It made her look around the pizzeria warily. "Strange things have happened around here. The Puppet at the Prize Corner moves on its own, and did I ever tell you that Katrina was talking to someone at the Pirate Cove? Danielle, I think she was talking to Foxy!"

But Danielle merely laughed and didn't believe it. "You're sounding way too paranoid. If this place scares you, why not leave? In any case, I'm not afraid of pirates like you are. I still like Foxy."

There Jackie watched helplessly as Danielle entered the Pirate Cove. She couldn't stop having the heebie-jeebies about this place. She kept looking over her shoulder and feeling like someone or something was watching her. She had to stop scaring herself like this; it was probably all just in her head. Jackie turned away and decided to hang out at the lively arcade…failing to notice that Golden Freddy was spying on her from an innocent-looking poster.

What Katrina was about to do was crazy. She felt weird doing it. But she was desperate and she hoped that he could help her out somehow. Katrina approached Freddy who liked interacting with children in a variety of ways by singing to them, joking, tipping his top-hat, or lowering his microphone to allow kids to say funny things into it. It wasn't easy getting Freddy's attention on account of having so many kids wanting to meet the star attraction. When some kids finally left, Katrina went up and lowered her voice so as not to be overheard.

"Um Freddy…this is going to sound like an unusual request…but uh…could you help me with something?" Katrina asked the bear animatronic. Freddy wasn't paying her any attention and instead was busily waving to the crowd. "I see that you're busy, but I have a big problem. You see… these girls think I'm seeing a boy…and well I'm not…I'm actually seeing you." Freddy ignores her and mechanically looks the other way. "I can't tell them I'm seeing an animatronic, they'd never let me hear the end of it!"

To her dismay, Freddy didn't look like he was even listening to her! Katrina grew more frustrated. "Please Freddy…I'm in trouble!" she said in a hushed voice while making sure no one was eavesdropping. "Do you think you can get a boy for me? You're good with kids, right? Just convince any boy into pretending to be my boyfriend. Believe me, I've tried talking to the boys here and they're all just way too immature!"

Freddy turned his head and finally seemed to acknowledge her. "Hi! Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza! I'm Freddy Fazbear, the bear known everywhere! Very pleased to meet you!" With that, Freddy held out his hand to her.

Katrina placed her hand in his but leaned in close to scold him in a hissing voice. "Listen here you! I could really use your help right about now! Quit acting like a robot and do something useful! I need to fool the other girls into thinking I have a boyfriend! At least that'll way they'll leave me alone."

As she watched, Freddy leaned his head to her, opened his big mouth, and let out a booming belly laugh. "You're very funny! You make Freddy Fazbear laugh! Why not tell the other children your jokes?"

Katrina was affronted by Freddy's ignorant behavior toward her that she ripped her hand from his grip and stormed away from the Show Stage. She felt so betrayed, how could Freddy make a fool out of her like that? It hurt her so much that she felt tears in her eyes. Who was she kidding? Freddy couldn't help her; he had no choice but to behave like a real animatronic during the day. Feeling humiliated, Katrina escaped to the girls' bathroom for a while. Once inside she turned on the faucet and splashed some water onto her face. Unfortunately for her, Tracy, Danielle, Jackie and Gina had tracked her down and entered the bathroom. So much for privacy… Katrina dried her face with a paper towel and prepared to face them. Upon seeing her looking so upset, they were back to interrogating her again.

"What happened? Are you okay? Did you find him? Did you find this Freddy?" Danielle kept asking. She, Jackie and Gina were looking sympathetic.

Katrina decided to come clean. "No. There is no boy. I'm not seeing a boy. I'm alone." She refused to cry in front of them. She already felt pathetic enough as it was. And she was so angry at Freddy for letting her down.

Tracy let out a scoffing laugh. "No boy? I'll bet he just dumped you. Is that why you're in here?" When Katrina refused to answer, Tracy dismissively waved her off. "Well I guess I came here for nothing. Come on girls, let's leave. Maybe we can take a walk over to the mall?"

Now Tracy, Danielle and Gina turned and started heading for the bathroom door. Jackie looked sadly at Katrina before turning to leave too. At least she could finally be alone now. But Katrina wiped her teary eyes and felt crushed. Just when she was about to break down into tears, suddenly from outside the bathroom door, a voice called in. A boy's voice… Tracy, Danielle, Jackie and Gina stopped in their tracks and listened in astonishment as a boy's stout voice called out for Katrina.

" _Katrina? Are you in there? I thought I saw you go in here. It's okay…I'm here for you. Sorry I'm late._ "

The four girls turned to stare at Katrina in surprise. But Katrina wasn't looking at them. She didn't know who this was nor had she ever heard the voice before. It sounded like a normal boy's voice. "Who are you? Do I know you?" She called back.

" _You know who I am. I'm really glad you came, Katrina. I couldn't wait to see your pretty smiling face. Have I ever told you how lovely you look today?_ " The girls watched as Katrina headed for the bathroom door to see with her own eyes the boy who was speaking so tenderly to her on the other side. Suddenly the voice stopped her. " _Wait! Don't come out. You know how shy I get._ "

Katrina didn't open the bathroom door, but the boy's voice was so close to her. " _I'm always thinking about you. I dream about you and me together. It's what I've always wanted…_ " The voice was soft and so romantic that it made Katrina's heart soar. _"What do you think about me, Katrina?_ "

"I think you're amazing," Katrina whispered. "You're unlike anyone I've ever met. You find the strength to do the tough things in life, you take care of others, and you're always there for me when I need you the most." Katrina held her breath and wanted for the voice to respond.

" _I'm glad you feel that way, Katrina. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings earlier. Just remember that I'll always be there for you no matter what. It was good seeing you, but sadly I must go. Never forget what I told you, my sweet honey girl. I'll see you later…"_

And just like that…the boy's voice disappeared and wasn't heard again. Katrina didn't want the voice to go; she needed to know who it was. She opened the bathroom door and stepped out to meet the mysterious owner of the voice. But she didn't see anyone around. Kids ran by her in the halls, parents sat at the dining table talking with each other; an employee was sweeping the floors clean. Katrina felt disappointed when didn't see any boys around. Except for one person… Freddy Fazbear was walking back to the Show Stage. Katrina stared at the bear animatronic and started to wonder… Was it possible that the voice she heard belonged to him? But it didn't sound like an animatronic… so that meant…

"Wow. That was so romantic," Danielle was saying dreamily. The other girls came out of the bathroom and joined Katrina. "This Freddy of yours sounds like a true gentleman. You're so lucky, Katrina. I wish I could meet a boy like that."

"Big deal. We didn't even get to see what he looks like. He probably didn't want to be seen because he's not very good-looking," Tracy said jealously. "Whatever…I'm outta here."

Katrina watched the other four girls head for the exit and thought about going with them. But not before gazing over at the Show Stage one last time and watching as Freddy Fazbear was getting ready to happily surprise a birthday boy with a party and was inviting Bonnie and Chica over to come play. Katrina studied Freddy and became more interested than ever in learning who was the ghost boy possessing Freddy Fazbear. The same ghostly boy who spoke such loving words to her…

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 **Ahhh... This was a touching part of the story. I'm really happy I was finally able to get this up and running. I hope the wait was worth it. Another quick thing I want to point out, I'm sure you're all aware of it by now, but I'm dropping hints of another scary villain wandering around the pizzeria. Any guesses as to who that might be? Who am I kidding, I've already made it pretty obvious! Well now that I've got this done, I've got more chapters to prepare.**


	16. Hide-N-Go-Seek

**This was a fun chapter to do. I hope you'll enjoy this one. Would like to remind my readers that if you have any specific question you want to ask about the story, I'll give ya a straight answer. Also I've noticed how a lot of readers are really enjoying the whole animatronic x human girl romance thing. I've noticed that other writers have been pairing the animatronics with security guards, and well...that never sat well with me. Personally I think the animatronics would have a strained relationship with adults as it's evidenced in the games. Just my opinion, though. Not to mention they're possessed by ghost children or as I like to believe. I'd sure love to hear your opinions on what ya think!**

* * *

Exactly at 10:00 AM, when the lights went out and the restaurant doors closed for the night, the animatronics' program switched to over to free-roaming mode. Freddy Fazbear's eyes opened and he moved his head to the left to see Bonnie come to life, then to the right to see Chica wake up. Freddy waited for the two of them to leave the stage first before stretching out his own robotic limps and walk offstage. Night-time was the only freedom the animatronics ever had around here. It's been a long day, and the brown bear was glad to finally have the chance to unwind. But most importantly of all, Freddy looked forward to seeing his nightly visitor.

Freddy went over to the restrooms area where he knew Katrina had access to the pizzeria. And like he did every night, Freddy stood there and waited for her to come. Good thing too, because tonight they wouldn't have to worry about Shadow Freddy. While patiently waiting, Freddy thought about what he did earlier today. He took a huge risk coming offstage and heading to the girls' bathroom in order to talk to Katrina like that. He couldn't remember the last time he used his real voice… Katrina had looked so hurt that he couldn't bring himself to turn his back on her. He wondered if she guessed the truth about him yet…

Freddy's bear ears perked up when he heard the familiar sounds of someone coming in through the open bathroom window. He had a ready smile on his face when the door opened and in came Katrina Marlowe. She wasn't surprised to see him standing there waiting to welcome her back. Now that she was finally here, Freddy offered her his hand and she accepted it. He realized how much she's come to trust him. Then he remembered what the Puppet had told him about her… Was Katrina still the depressed girl he once saw?

"Katrina…We need to talk," Freddy told her seriously. "There are some things I've been meaning to ask you. Let's go someplace private." Freddy led Katrina through the restaurant away from Bonnie and Foxy who were making quite a racket over at the arcade by playing their favorite games.

As Freddy led her down the dark East hallway, he couldn't help noticing that Katrina was strangely silent. In fact she was avoiding eye-contact with him and appeared to be going red in the face. Freddy was confused about her sudden shy behavior. He took her into the empty security office and watched as she sat comfortably into the swivel chair by the desk. Freddy thought of how best to approach this subject with her when again he saw that she wasn't looking at him. Katrina stared down at her feet with her hands folded in her lap, and was she actually blushing?

"Is everything okay?" Freddy asked her. "You're acting kinda funny." He got down on one knee and playfully tried catching her eye. "What's wrong Katrina? Don't you want to talk to me?"

At last Katrina lifted her head and gazed up into Freddy's face before her. "It's not that…it's just…," she studied him for a moment. "I know it was you…I know you were there…" Freddy didn't say anything. He knew exactly what she was talking about. "All those things you said to me…did you really mean it?"

This time it was Freddy's turn to be shy. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but what could he say? He literally pretended to be a boy she was dating in order to fool her friends. He was only trying to help but instead ended up acting on real feelings toward her… Freddy felt incredibly awkward and stole a peek down at Katrina to see that she was still waiting for an answer. He couldn't say it to her in words…perhaps he could show her through action.

Smiling fondly, Freddy gently ran his robotic hand through Katrina's long soft hair and started playing with it. Katrina pushed his hand away with a frown, but saw that Freddy's eyes were twinkling mischievously. He reached out and took back her hand and Katrina allowed him while suddenly feeling intrigued by his charming ways. Freddy always wanted to know what it felt like to hold a girl's hand for the first time and upon closer examination saw that Katrina painted her fingernails a pretty shade of pink. Being this close to her, Freddy could also smell her perfumed scent, strawberries & cream. Katrina watched with fascination as Freddy took her hand and placed it where his heart would be.

The Toreador's March tune began to play, filling the whole room with its cheery melody. Freddy was rewarded with Katrina's dazzling smile as the music filled her with joy. It made Katrina realize that she's never taken the time to really play with Freddy like the other kids did. With a mischievous smile of her own, she reached up and began honking Freddy's nose over and over again. Freddy shooed her hand away from his nose and flashed a scolding but smiling look that made her laugh. This was so much fun.

But then Katrina reached up and took Freddy by the face and brought him close so that she touched foreheads with him. Looking deep into his sky-blue eyes, she saw the glowing light of the ghost boy possessing this animatronic. She's never liked a boy before… Whenever she thought about the romantic words Freddy said to her, it made her heart melt. No one had ever made her feel that way before. She yearned to know who he really was...

But then Katrina remembered the reason why Freddy brought her to the security office. "By the way, what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked him.

"Actually I wanted to ask you about your family." Katrina sat stiffly in the chair and didn't like where this was going. "You always come to the pizzeria alone. I never see you with family." To show his concern, Freddy reached out to touch her hand. "If something's troubling you, you can tell me about it. I'll listen and I promise I won't judge. Want to tell me what's going on at home?"

To his dismay, Katrina removed her hand from his and became very distant. Freddy wasn't prepared for her feisty reaction. "No…I don't have to say anything to you. Please stop asking me about my family. There's nothing to tell," she said bitterly.

Katrina got up from the chair and started to head for the security door but Freddy quickly blocked her path. "Wait a minute! I'm sorry!" he quickly apologized. "It's just that I really am worried about you. If you're depressed about something, you need to talk to someone!" Katrina ignored Freddy and instead tried going around him. Freddy refused to let her leave until he finished what he had to say.

"Listen to me Katrina. I know something is wrong. Whatever it is, you can't suppress it like this. Hiding your pain never helps…believe me, I should know," Freddy tried explaining to her. Katrina angrily tries pushing Freddy out of the way, but he didn't budge an inch. "Please talk to me, Katrina. I can help you. Whatever problems you're having, you don't have to face it alone. Just give me a chance!"

Growing angrier, Katrina turned away and tried exiting out the door to the right. But Freddy quickly grabbed her wrist to stop her. Katrina furiously tried to tug her hand free but Freddy didn't let her go. "Katrina, whatever secret you're keeping locked up inside, Shadow Freddy will find it. Don't you see? That's why he's going after you! He won't stop until he knows your fear and then he'll start feasting on it. You need to overcome it. Don't give Shadow Freddy that power over you!"

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Katrina shouted over him. She didn't want to listen, she couldn't bear to listen. Instead she tried to pry her hand out of Freddy's grip. "Let me go Freddy! I said let me go! I don't have to tell you anything! How I deal with my problems is none of your business! I can take care of myself!"

Having no choice, Freddy released her and sadly watched as Katrina hurried out the door and went far away from him. After watching her go, Freddy realized that the trust between them was not as strong as he thought. There were secrets keeping them apart… Freddy stood there and was at a total loss on what to do now. How could he get Katrina to listen to him? Freddy was a feeling a little down, knowing that Katrina was very mad at him. He wondered how to make it right again.

And then Freddy smiled to himself. He was Freddy Fazbear! Winning the hearts of children was his specialty. Katrina was playing hard to get right now, but he would earn her trust. There were many ways to go about it too. Feeling more confident, tonight Freddy would come up with a million of ways to amaze Katrina. He would make her see that he was so much more than an animatronic. Most of all, he would try to make her see him for the boy he was on the inside. No more shying away from her…

Katrina hurried down the West hallway and came back into the Dining Area. She was feeling agitated from her latest argument with Freddy. But now she felt bad for ruining the tender moment between them. Why did she have to go lose her temper like that? The problem was she couldn't talk about her parents…the pain was too great. Katrina heard thumping footsteps from behind and turned around to see that Freddy had caught up with her. She thought he would be angry too, but instead he was smiling heartily down at her.

"I'm still not going to talk to you," Katrina said defiantly. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for his reaction. She was in for a surprise.

"I thought as much," Freddy said calmly. "In fact…I've decided that I want to play a game with you." He had Katrina's attention so he continued. "Think of it as a game of hide & seek. You go hide somewhere in the restaurant and I come find you. If I can find you two times, I'll tell you something about myself."

Katrina thought it over and had to admit she was interested. She wanted to learn more about Freddy. However it did raise one question. "What happens if you find me for a third time?"

Freddy's grin widens and she saw laughter in his eyes. "Then I'll take you away and you'll belong to me…forever."

Katrina stared nervously up at the animatronic bear before her and wondered if he was for real. She knew Freddy would never hurt her, but surely he wasn't serious? "Wha-what happens if you don't find me at all?" she asked uneasily.

"Then you go free and I won't bother you for the rest of the night," Freddy promised. "To play fair, I'll play my Toreador's March so you'll know when I'm coming and be able to hide. I should warn you, I'm good at hide & seek. Not even my friends could ever beat me at it. I'll let you go if I catch you two times, but on the third try, I'll take you for myself. The game starts…now!"

"Wait! Shouldn't there be rules?" Katrina protested.

"No. No rules. I'll use whatever means to find you." Freddy smiles eagerly. "Hope you're ready for Freddy."

"That's not fair! You can't just hunt me down like that! How am I supposed to win?" Katrina whined.

"I'd run and hide if I were you…," Freddy playfully warned her. Now he chuckled as Katrina ran away as fast as she could from him. He would make the game exciting. And in the end, he would win and happily accept her as his prize.

What on earth had she gotten herself into? Why did she ever agree to play Freddy's game? Katrina didn't have time to think about it because she needed to hide. She darted into the first room she came into and quickly closed the door behind her. One look around told her that she'd just entered the parts & service room and it was very dark in here. She took a few steps into the room and tried looking for someplace to hide. Sudden movement in the corner made her jump, and Katrina stared in alarm as Freddy Fazbear appeared to her from the darkness.

"Oh, it's only you Golden," Katrina breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it wasn't Freddy but his golden counterpart. "Listen, I'm playing this silly game with Freddy and he's out looking for me. I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell him I was in here," she hastily explained to the golden bear.

Golden quietly nodded his head and sat himself down onto the floor, looking like a big docile teddy bear as he did so. Upon watching him, Katrina realized that Golden had a difficult time moving his old animatronic body around. Maybe that's why he was always teleporting everywhere or levitating among the walls. Now she went over and sat down next to him and was glad for his company.

"You look a lot like Freddy but you're the total opposite of him," Katrina said. Golden said nothing to her but appeared to be listening. "So you're the strong silent type, huh?" Katrina remarked. Golden was acting shy towards her again. "Hey it's okay. You can talk to me." She reached out and gently took his big paw and held it.

Golden lifted his big head and gazed down at her. Two ghostly eyes seemed to peer out at her and she could almost see the ghost child inside him. Who did he used to be? Golden was the most elusive and supernatural animatronic here, but she always detected a strong spirit stirring within him. Not to mention his paranormal abilities were surprisingly heightened unlike the others. However the most powerful spirit she sensed so far had been the Puppet…

And then Katrina heard it… The Toreador's March. Freddy was coming closer, he was looking for her. Thinking fast, she moved and hid behind Golden Freddy. "Please don't tell him I'm here," she whispered into Golden's ear. Now she listened carefully as Freddy's footsteps approached the door.

At first Katrina hoped that Freddy would walk by and not check the parts & service room. But she held her breath when the door did open and there stood Freddy Fazbear whose robotic eyes seemed to scan the room before him. Katrina watched as he stepped into the room and his intelligent blue eyes continued to seek her out. Luckily Freddy couldn't spot her but he did notice Golden Freddy sitting slumped against the wall in the corner. Katrina prayed that he wouldn't see her hiding behind Golden and her heart leaped when she saw Freddy approach Golden.

"Have you seen Katrina, Golden?" Freddy asked. "I'm looking for her. Do you know where she is?"

"No…," Golden lied. "She hasn't come by here. I'm sorry." Katrina was grateful and would have to remember to thank Golden later. Maybe she would win this game after all.

"I don't believe you," Freddy said suddenly and Katrina became nervous. "You never were a good liar. She's in this room, isn't she? Are you hiding her?" Freddy sounded suspicious. He hadn't been kidding; he was good at this game.

"No I'm not," Golden insisted. "This room is too dark. She wouldn't be able to hide in here." It was a clever thing to say and hopefully it was enough to convince Freddy to go search somewhere else.

Freddy stood there and she was unable to see his face in the darkness. She thought for sure he would give up and leave. But then… "If it's too dark in here, I'll just light it up." Freddy's blue eyes lit up like a bright flashlight, illuminating the whole room. With a smug smirk, he instantly saw Katrina trying to keep out of sight behind Golden.

"I can see you there, Katrina," Freddy pointed to her. "Come out from there." Having no other choice, Katrina sulkily got to her feet and went with Freddy. Now he led her out of the parts & service room where they left Golden behind.

Katrina waited for Freddy to start bragging about his success at finding her, but he didn't. Instead he knelt down before her smiling. "As promised, I'll tell you something about myself. My birthday was April 23, making my zodiac sign Taurus and my birthstone Diamond. My hobbies were playing chess, crossword puzzles, and board games. I was known as the strategic thinker. And my favorite color is brown."

Now no longer feeling annoyed at getting caught, Katrina was enlightened. The game had seemed ridiculous to her but now it was entertaining. "Thanks for sharing," Katrina smiled. It was the first time Freddy had opened up to her and revealed something about himself. She was finally starting to see him as a person.

Freddy reached out and gave her a gentle shove. "Don't forget we're still in the middle of a game here. Better go hide somewhere," he told her. "I've found you once and I'll do it again! Hurry now!"

Katrina ran off and Freddy was even nice enough to give her a ten-second head-start. She wondered where she could hide this time. Then she heard voices coming from the kitchen and decided to head there. Entering the kitchen, she saw it was Bonnie and Chica and the two of them were holding plates of different flavored cupcakes. Katrina watched them and wondered what they were going to do with all those cupcakes. Chica was talking cheerfully while Bonnie was watching her like a lovesick puppy.

"Thanks for helping me pick out the cupcakes," Chica was thanking Bonnie. "Now help me find a safe place for these delicious sweets. We've got three birthdays scheduled for tomorrow so we'll be busy!"

"Of course, anything for you," Bonnie said dotingly. He was so head-over-heels for Chica that he was more than happy to help her with anything if it meant being here with her.

Katrina was deeply moved by Bonnie's affections toward Chica. It suddenly reminded her of Freddy… Did she and Freddy have the same relationship? It's not like Freddy was her boyfriend or anything. Again she remembered standing at the bathroom door; listening to a voice that said the most romantic things to her. She thought about all the other times when Freddy had been there for her. Come to think of it, Freddy did seem very smitten with her. But did that mean…

The Toreador's March started playing somewhere in the distance, which meant Freddy Fazbear was nearby. Katrina quickly entered the kitchen and took Bonnie and Chica by surprise. "Sorry to barge in like this but I need a hiding spot! Freddy is looking for me and I can't let him find me! Can you help me?"

Luckily they didn't ask too many questions. In fact, Chica was the one who pointed to a large kitchen cabinet that was open. "Quick! Hide inside there! He won't be able to find you there!"

Crawling into the kitchen cabinet, Katrina left the door open a crack so that she could see out. The tune of Toreador's March got louder and louder, until finally the door opened and Freddy arrived. Bonnie and Chica stood together and tried not to look too conspicuous as their leader approached them. Freddy first looked at Bonnie, then at Chica with a searching expression. Katrina watched him from the cabinet and wondered if he would be able to find her this time.

"Hi Freddy. Come to steal a cupcake? We've got plenty of em' here," Chica said innocently. She held out the plate of cupcakes to the animatronic bear.

"No. I didn't come here for sweets. I'm looking for Katrina. She wouldn't happen to be hiding anywhere around here, is she?" Freddy asked. His eyes continued to search closely around the kitchen.

"Katrina? I thought I heard her run by here. Maybe she went hiding around the Prize Corner?" Bonnie suggested. Katrina now looked over at Freddy and wondered if he would buy it.

"Oh really now?" Freddy said thoughtfully. He looked around the kitchen but didn't look in her direction. "Well then, I guess I'll look around the Prize Corner. Sorry I bothered you." Freddy turned away and headed for the kitchen door.

Katrina could hardly believe her luck. So Freddy couldn't find her. She actually felt disappointed because she wouldn't have mind getting caught by him. She was really starting to enjoy the game they were playing. Suddenly Freddy stopped, turned around and stared back at Bonnie and Chica. To Katrina's surprise, he came back over to them and was looking more suspicious than ever.

"Let me ask you, Chica. Do you have a strawberries & cream cupcake?" Freddy suddenly asked her.

"Strawberries & cream cupcake? No. We don't have that flavored cupcake," Chica replied.

Freddy smiled triumphantly. "I thought so…" With that, Freddy easily followed the lovely scent, slid open the kitchen cabinet and revealed Katrina. "You really shouldn't put on so much body-spray," he said teasingly down at her.

"You're good, Fazbear. I'll give you that," Katrina complimented him. Now she climbed out of the kitchen cabinet and Bonnie and Chica watched as Freddy and Katrina exited the kitchen. Once out in the hallway, Freddy bent down and Katrina waited excitedly for him to tell her more.

"I found you a second time, so let's see… I enjoyed school and got good grades. And I was especially great at math, science, and gym class. Also I was an only child, never had brothers or sisters. I was always a leader; very mature for my age and took responsibility seriously. It's one of the reasons why the others look up to me."

Once he was finished, Freddy smiled into Katrina's eyes. "Well so far I've found you two times. If I find you for a third time, I'll claim you as my prize. This is your last chance to escape me. Get a move on!"

Katrina turned and ran off to find her final hiding spot. She was having so much fun that she realized she didn't care if she lost the game. She just wanted to keep on playing with Freddy. Katrina was trying to figure out where to hide next when she spotted the Pirate Cove. Maybe she could hide somewhere in there. Now she hurried into the attraction and immediately tried looking for a hiding spot. Oh great, nowhere to hide around here and Freddy would be looking for her soon. If she wasn't fast enough, Freddy would have no trouble finding her.

"Da-da-dum-dum da-dum-dum-dum-diddly-dum-dum dum-diddly-dum-dum dum-dum da-da." Foxy the Pirate Fox was standing behind his purple curtains and humming a cheery shanty to himself. He poked his head out and took notice of Katrina standing there.

"Foxy, thank goodness! Do you know a good hiding spot around here? I'm playing this game with Freddy and I need to hide," Katrina quickly explained to him.

"Yer playin' a game wit' the Cap'n?" Foxy was grinning strangely. "No worries, lass. I'll help ye hide! C'mere and hide behind me purple curtains. He'll never find ye ere'."

Katrina gladly stepped up onto the stage, but felt uncertain about this. "I don't know, Foxy. Won't it be obvious that I'm hiding here? Freddy will find me easily!"

"No he won'…It won' be easy fer em'," Foxy said slyly. "Jus' hide right ere' and I won' let em' find ye." Foxy drew the purple curtains closed and snickered devilishly to himself. The wily red fox had plans of his own…

It wasn't long before Foxy's ears picked up the musical notes of Toreador's March playing. In no time at all, Freddy arrived at the Pirate Cove and was moving his head around to take in his surroundings. Katrina stood perfectly still and peeked out through the purple curtains. This wasn't going to work; Freddy would find her and take her away. But maybe that wasn't such a bad thing… Freddy looked over and saw Foxy casually leaning against a crane-machine and grinning at him. Now Freddy came over and judging by Foxy's shifty behavior already knew the pirate fox was up to something.

"Ahoy Cap'n!" Foxy greeted him cheerfully. "So what brings ye to me turf? Lookin' fer someone?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Freddy said politely. "I'm trying to find Katrina. I thought I heard her footsteps come this way. Do you know where she's hiding?" Behind the curtains, Katrina realized that Freddy already knew she was here. She might as well come out and reveal herself.

"Sorry Cap'n. Nobody be here but me," Foxy said, although he didn't sound very convincing at all and it made Katrina pinch the bridge of her nose. Honestly, was Foxy "trying" to help Freddy find her?

"Uh-huh…," Freddy said slowly. Then he looked behind Foxy and noticed the purple curtains were closed shut. With a knowing smile, he knew that there was only one place for her to hide. "Come on out, Katrina. I know you're hiding behind those curtains," he called to her. "I win our game. This time, I get to keep you."

Katrina let out a resigned sigh and decided to give herself up. She pushed the curtains open and started to step forward, but without warning Foxy held out his hook to stop her. When she looked up at him, she was taken aback to see the villainous look on Foxy's face. With wild laughter, Foxy forced her back onto the stage and it didn't look like he was about to let her go. What was going on here? What was Foxy doing?

"Arrgh har har har har! I ain't lettin' ye have her, Freddy Fazbear!" Foxy announced deviously. "I'm stealing her away and there's nothin' ye can do ter stop me! Fer I am Foxy the Pirate Fox, ruler of the seven seas! And tis lovely lass is mine!"

"What? Foxy have you gone mad? This wasn't part of the game! Just what do you think you're doing?" Katrina protested. But Foxy ignored her and wouldn't allow her to leave the stage.

But Freddy was smiling at the crafty red fox challenging him. "Well if it isn't my own nemesis, Foxy the Pirate Fox,' he said boldly. "I'm not going to let you take Katrina away. In fact, I'm here to rescue her!"

"I like ter see ye try! If ye want Katrina so badly, ye'll ave' to fight me in order ter win her!" Foxy coolly placed on his metallic eye-patch and with a sharp-toothed grin held up his fist and hook in a fighting stance. "I won' go easy on ye! If ye lose ter me, ye have no choice but ter give up Katrina! Whoever wins gets ter have her!"

"I'll gladly fight you if it means I can save Katrina," Freddy said heroically. He too held up his fists and prepared to fight his rival. "Katrina means everything to me! She's mine!"

"Uh excuse me? I'm not a prize to be won here! Isn't this going a little too far?" Katrina said loudly. Freddy and Foxy weren't listening to her. Now she started to get worried. "Seriously guys, I don't want anyone to fight over me. Will you both please just stop this? This isn't necessary!"

Without looking at her, Freddy calmly reassured her. "Don't worry Katrina. I promise nobody will get hurt. Let Foxy have his fun…" Katrina didn't really understand but decided to take Freddy's word for it. But she's always wondered… Who would win in a fight, Freddy or Foxy?

Freddy and Foxy stared each other down and Katrina could sense the tension. Foxy made the first move and dashed at Freddy with amazing speed. He nailed Freddy hard in the chest with his hook and leaped back before Freddy had time to defend himself. Katrina gasped and hoped it didn't hurt Freddy. Again Foxy swiftly leaped forward and whacked Freddy in the chest, causing the animatronic bear to stagger. When Foxy leaped to attack a third time, Freddy was ready and grabbed Foxy's hook and shoved him back with all his strength. Katrina watched as Foxy stumble a little before regaining his balance.

"You're so predictable, Foxy. Think I can't pick up the pattern in your attacks?" Freddy pointed out. Katrina thought Freddy's strength was astounding and she admired the way he could analyze an opponent's way of attack like that.

"Not bad, Cap'n. But I'm still faster than ye!" Foxy taunted. From what Katrina could see, Foxy may have a shoddy animatronic suit, but the one good thing it did was give him extra speed and agility.

Next Freddy tried lunging for Foxy, but it was no good. Foxy was way faster and could easily outrun the slow and bulky animatronic bear. Now the pirate fox dashed around and leaped onto Freddy's back and used his hook to latch on. Unfortunately this prevented Freddy from attacking and he couldn't see his opponent. Foxy was trying to tackle Freddy down onto the ground where he would have a bigger advantage. Freddy knew it and was struggling to pull the pirate fox off him. But Foxy had a good grip and was using his weight to anchor Freddy down.

"Yer in fer it now, Fazbear! Once I make mince-meat out of ye, I'm takin' Katrina wit' me! Ye'll have to fight better than tis!" Foxy laughed while riding on top of Freddy. Katrina started worrying again and wondered how Freddy would fight back.

Trying to yank Foxy off him wasn't working. So there was only one thing he could do… Freddy stopped struggling and started to back up against the wall and started smacking Foxy into it. Over and over, he kept banging Foxy against the wall until he felt the pirate fox's grip on him weaken. Finally Freddy was able to free himself and buck Foxy off him. Foxy landed cat-like on his feet and looked up in time to see Freddy turning around to face him.

Freddy smiled wryly over at Foxy. "That was a good move, Foxy. You almost had me." The more she watched them; Katrina came to realize that this wasn't the first time they've sparred like this. The two of them were treating it like one big game.

For his last attack, Foxy decided to try out a new strategy. With his eyes on Freddy, the pirate fox began to hop from one place to another and he did it really fast. He never stayed in one spot for long and was constantly on the move. Katrina was puzzled by Foxy's running around like that until she saw what he was doing. With no warning Foxy sprang forward and raised his fist to strike Freddy on his broad chest and leaped back before Freddy could grab him. Foxy continued to run and dart around the room, making it hard for Freddy to keep up with him. Then Foxy sprang in a second time and attacked the animatronic bear in the back and was able to dodge in time.

"I ain't so predictable now, am I Cap'n? Now ye can' tell where I'm gonna attack ye!" Foxy said mockingly. He hadn't stopped running and kept attacking Freddy from all different directions. Foxy was too fast on his feet and Freddy kept receiving hit after hit.

It was going to be tough. Due to Freddy's bulky animatronic suit, he wasn't fast enough to land a hit on the speedy Foxy. Katrina began to fear that Freddy would lose…and she wouldn't be able to go with him. But then she noticed that Freddy was standing perfectly still and had been carefully studying Foxy's erratic movements. It made her wonder… Would Freddy come up with another amazing solution? If there's one thing she's learned about him it was that Freddy was a problem-solver. As she watched their fight from the sidelines, Foxy leaped at the animatronic bear for another attack.

This time Freddy was ready. The two animatronics charged at each other at the same time. Foxy was aiming high, but Freddy aimed low. To Katrina's amazement, Freddy used his big foot to trip Foxy and successfully stop him in his tracks. Foxy clumsily fell down onto his side and looked surprised by that unexpected move. Smiling proudly, Freddy went over and helped Foxy to his feet, followed by giving him a good sporting pat on the back. And just like that, they both broke out in laughter…

"Dat was a good move, Cap'n! Shoulda known ye pull another trick outta yer top-hat! I bin' wantin' to try that move fer some time now. Ye fought like a worthy opponent! Thanks, Cap'n!" Foxy said with a respective salute to the brown bear.

"You're welcome, Foxy. I have to admit, you've really improved your fighting skills. I was really impressed with the distraction tactics you tried using against me," Freddy said, bowing in respect to Foxy. "Now if you don't mind, I believe I won Katrina fair and square."

Freddy's smile grew bigger when he saw Katrina happily running to him. He opened his arms and she laughingly leaped into them. The two of them happily embraced before Freddy lifted her up and carried her out of Pirate Cove. From that moment on, Freddy took her back to the Show Stage where he explained to her that Foxy wasn't all bad, that he used to have the role of a Fazbear villain. Their little battle was done just for fun. But afterwards Katrina reached out and touched Freddy's face and thought about how her feelings toward him were growing stronger. She didn't care if he was an animatronic. To her, Freddy was the most dearest friend she's ever had.

"I had a lot of fun tonight. That was a very fun game you came up with," Katrina told him.

"Well I've got a million of them," Freddy said modestly. Looking into her eyes, Freddy had a sudden thought. "Uh Katrina…I haven't exactly answered your question." He smiled warmly into her pretty face. "I want you to know that I did mean what I said to you earlier…" But Katrina knew it all along…


	17. Jackie's scarred past

Morning finally arrived with sunlight pouring through the windows and the sounds of early birds chirping outside. The pale blue sky was filled with lovely pink-colored clouds and a warm shining sun glowed in the horizon. The pizzeria would be opening soon. On the Show Stage, Bonnie and Chica stood in their regular places but Freddy was sitting comfortably and in his arms he held a peacefully sleeping Katrina. The beautiful girl had fallen asleep on his lap and Freddy didn't bother to take her back to the Employee Lounge. Instead he held her close with Katrina resting her head on his chest. Freddy had watched her sleep all night and thought about how much he's grown to love her.

Once the clock hit 5:50 AM, Freddy knew it was time to say good-bye. Carefully as he could, Freddy slowly got back to his feet and cradled Katrina in his powerful arms. He tried not to feel sad whenever she had to leave. Freddy knew his place was here, serving as the restaurant's main attraction where his sole purpose was to bring happiness to millions of children. Sooner or later, Katrina would move on with her life. But would he ever find the strength to let her go? It was too depressing and Freddy didn't want to dwell on it. All he wanted was Katrina's heart… If he could have that, then his soul would gladly depart with no regrets.

Now Freddy went up to Bonnie and tapped him on the shoulder to wake him up. "Hey Bonnie, can you do me a favor?" Freddy asked. "Can you go gather Katrina's stuff for her and bring it to the girls' bathroom?"

"Huh? Oh yeah…sure thing Freddy," Bonnie said sleepily. He stepped offstage and kept quiet so as not to wake up Katrina and Chica.

When Bonnie left, Freddy began to carry Katrina with him. He'd been doing a lot of thinking last night and came to a decision. Entering the girls' bathroom, Freddy looked down upon Katrina's sleeping face. It was time to wake her. "Katrina…Katrina… Time to get up. Wake up, sleeping beauty."

Katrina opened her eyes when she heard Freddy's voice. She rubbed her eyes and stretched out her arms. "It's morning already?" she said with a yawn. "I must have fallen asleep on the Show Stage. I hope I didn't keep you awake, Freddy."

Freddy watched her for a moment. "Katrina, before you go, I need to talk to you about something," he said seriously. Katrina looked up at him and waited. "I understand you don't like talking about your family. But I just wanted you to know that we'll no longer ask you about them." Her eyes widen in surprise and Freddy continued on. "I know how it feels to not want to talk about something painful. It's not that you don't want to, you're just not ready to."

Katrina said nothing, but Freddy could tell that she was listening to his every word. "If you don't want to talk about it, then you have every right not to. When people keep asking, it just sounds like they're prying. But I won't do that to you. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be right here waiting."

"Oh Freddy…," Katrina didn't know what to say. Except to smile and thank him for being so understanding. She'd been worried at first, but she appreciated Freddy giving her some space.

The bathroom door opened and in came Bonnie with Katrina's stuff packed and ready to go. "Here you are. I don't think I forgot anything," Bonnie said, handing over the backpack over to Katrina. "I'd better get back to the stage. You better hurry too, Freddy!"

Katrina reached up and gave Freddy a big hug and suddenly felt so happy. "Thanks for everything, Freddy! I'll see you later, ok?" With that, Freddy assisted her out of the window and watched as she fetched her bike and left the pizzeria's parking lot. Freddy was starting to miss her already.

It was a hot summer day. Katrina along with the other four girls went to the local pool to go for a swim. The sky was a clear blue with wisps of puffy white clouds. Luckily the pool wasn't packed today and she was able to dive into the cool waters and frolic in the water. She even wore her favorite orange one-piece bathing seat while having to push back her long thick wet hair from her eyes. Gina and Danielle were laughingly playing with a beach ball while Tracy was sprawled out on a recliner and was sun-tanning. Everyone was having fun except for one person… Jackie sat at the edge of the pool and was dangling her feet into the cold water. She was wearing a lovely red two-piece bathing suit; however she didn't look the least bit interested in going for a swim.

Katrina swam up to Jackie. "What's wrong, Jackie? Don't you want to go for a swim? The water's not that cold," Katrina said with a friendly smile. She kinda liked Jackie Garvey. She wasn't snobby like Tracy or a nosy gossiper like Danielle and Gina. In fact, she was the only girl Katrina got along with.

But Jackie crossed her arms over herself and looked so self-conscious. Katrina could never understand it. She was wearing such a pretty bathing suit, yet acted like she was naked and exposed. On top of that, Jackie was always covering the right side of her face with her long chocolate-brown hair. Katrina had never seen her full face before. Just what exactly was Jackie trying to hide? To make matters more difficult, Tracy removed her sunglasses and was eying Jackie with a snooty expression.

"Don't bother. Jackie doesn't show her face to anybody. All she does is hide like a coward," Tracy scoffed. She went back to reading her magazine.

Katrina threw the blond girl a dirty look. What was Tracy's problem? Why did she have to be so negative about everything? She turned and tried to give Jackie an encouraging smile. "Don't listen to her, Jackie. Tracy never has anything nice to say to anyone. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with your face. You're a pretty girl, honest."

But now Danielle swam up beside Katrina and was studying Jackie curiously too. "She's right, you know. It's not like you're ugly. Why not push back your hair and show us?" she suggested.

Jackie glared at both Katrina and Danielle. "No. I'm not going to do it just because you tell me to. Maybe I like styling my hair this way," Jackie said curtly. She was growing very uncomfortable with all their eyes on her.

"How come you don't want to show us?" Gina piped up who came climbing out of the pool. "Is there something wrong with your face? What exactly are you trying to hide?"

"I'm not hiding anything! Will you please stop bugging me?" Jackie said sharply. Unfortunately this had all four girls looking at her now. It only made her want to disappear on the spot. Jackie didn't like anyone staring at her like that.

"Well if you're not hiding anything then let us see your face!" Tracy mocked her. "Go on! Show us your face and prove that you've got nothing to hide. If you're such a pretty girl, why not show it off? Go ahead! Prove us all wrong!"

"Shut up! Leave her alone! If she doesn't want to, she doesn't have to!" Katrina angrily yelled at Tracy. She wanted to stick up for poor Jackie. The poor girl didn't deserve to be bullied like this. "There's nothing wrong with Jackie's face. Can't we just drop it?"

"Stay out of this Katrina." Jackie said bitterly. "I don't need your help. I don't need anyone's help." But when Danielle tried to reach out and remove Jackie's long bangs from her face, Jackie finally exploded. "Get away from me! There's nothing wrong with my face! I've had enough of your insults, I'm leaving."

They all watched as Jackie turned and started to storm off. Then it happened… Jackie accidentally slipped on some water and fell down onto the hard ground. Having immediate concern for her, Katrina quickly climbed out of the pool and rushed over to Jackie's side to make sure she wasn't too badly injured. Danielle and Gina hurried over to help too. Katrina knelt down and helped Jackie to her feet where the brunette seemed to only have minor bruises. But Katrina saw Jackie Garvey's face for the first time… And she was absolutely horrified by what she saw.

Jackie tried to cover it, but it was already too late. They've all seen it. On Jackie's right cheek was a long cut that looked like it had been done by a knife. It appeared to be healing, but it was very hard not to notice. Katrina and others stared in shock while Jackie tearfully covered her scar in shame. And that was when the realization hit them all… Jackie Garvey had been the victim of abuse. Someone had given her that horrible cut which probably explained why she was in foster care. Katrina was speechless, but she wanted to say something. She wanted to comfort Jackie who was looking so vulnerable.

"Jackie…I'm sorry. I didn't mean…," Katrina wished she knew what to say. What's worse, Jackie was already fleeing from them while covering her right cheek and looking so scandalized. "Wait Jackie!" But Katrina privately felt that Jackie deserved time alone. So she didn't try to stop her.

"Poor Jackie…," Gina said sadly. She and Danielle were looking guilty about their pushy behavior. For once Tracy didn't say anything. And Katrina felt sorry for Jackie the most.

That night, Jackie had shut herself inside her bedroom and never came out. Not even when Mrs. Cosgrove brought her dinner. The kindly woman had tried to talk to her but Jackie was unresponsive. Earlier she had run all the way to the house, changed out of her bathing suit and jumped onto her bed to cry. She kept crying until she was fresh out of tears. But crying never did her any good. So now she just laid there and wallowed in self-pity. Jackie has never been so humiliated in all her life and now the other girls knew about her ugly secret.

After lying in bed for so long, Jackie finally forced herself to get up. She went over to her vanity where she had taken a bed-sheet and used it to cover the mirror. Pulling the bed-sheet off, Jackie looked in the mirror and saw a pitiful girl staring back at her. And on her right cheek…the hideous scar that was a constant reminder of what "she" did to her. Jackie didn't want to remember the abuse. That part of her life was over. But every time she looked in a mirror, the ugly cut seemed to mock her. She personally felt that her beauty had been stripped from her.

With a sigh, Jackie turned away from the mirror and went over to her window to look out. It was a nice night; she could make out a couple of twinkling stars dotting the dark-blue sky. Jackie opened the window and a cool breeze blew in. It felt good on her face. Suddenly she heard a door open and the sound of footsteps out in the hallway. When Jackie walked over to the door and peeked out, she spied Katrina sneaking around again. She was nicely dressed as usual and was carrying a backpack with her. Jackie watched as Katrina quietly headed for the stairs and went down them. Jackie frowned to herself and wondered where she was going at this time of night.

"Where is she going? Is she going to go see that boy of hers? Why does she have to sneak out?" Jackie puzzled over this. Katrina had been acting very different, ever since they came to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Something very funny was going on here. And Jackie felt way too curious to turn her back on this now. That was when Jackie decided to follow her…

Jackie quickly changed out of her pajamas and put on a bright pink floral t-shirt, white jean shorts and her sneakers. Pushing her hair back, Jackie hurried out of her room and headed for the stairs. Reaching the bottom, she heard Katrina going out the backdoor. She wanted to know once and for all where Katrina was sneaking off to. So Jackie decided to follow her… Going out the backdoor, Jackie kept a safe distance while tailing after Katrina in the darkness. She was careful to be silent and stay out of sight. Thirty minutes later, Jackie managed to successfully follow Katrina through the neighborhood without being detected. And she was greatly surprised to discover where Katrina was going…

Freddy Fazbear's Pizza? What was she doing here? Jackie watched as Katrina arrived at the closed restaurant and went around to the back of the building. Once she disappeared out of sight, Jackie stood hiding among some bushes and was feeling more confused than ever. Katrina was sneaking into the pizzeria at night-time? Didn't the girl know she could get into major trouble for that? Whatever the reason, Jackie didn't want to head back to the house. She had to investigate this. It was there that she decided to sneak into the pizzeria too and figure out what Katrina was really up to.

Jackie did a quick check to make sure no one was around before heading over to the closed pizzeria. Now she approached the front door and saw that it was locked. There weren't any lights on and all she could hear were the sounds of crickets and cars in the distance. Jackie remembered that Katrina went to the back of building and she decided to go there too. How did Katrina get inside? Then Jackie spotted an open window where looking inside, she saw it led into the girls' bathroom. This was the entrance… Jackie stood there and tried to make up her mind on what to do. Should she go inside and try to find Katrina?

"Okay Katrina Marlowe. Prepare yourself because I'm about to expose you!" Jackie declared. With determination, Jackie climbed through the window and entered Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.

* * *

 **Well this should be interesting. What's going to happen now that Jackie has entered the restaurant establishment? Most importantly of all, which animatronic is she going to end up encountering? Jackie's past will finally be revealed in the next chapter. Another mystery is going to be put to rest. Thank you all for reading and reviewing so far, I appreciate all your support and encouragement. Everybody have a fun summer!**


	18. Shanghaied by a pirate fox

**This will be a pretty long chapter. One that the Foxy fans can appreciate! Happy reading, FNAF readers!**

* * *

A smiling Katrina jumped into Freddy's open arms as the bear animatronic happily welcomed her back. She cuddled Freddy's face affectionately in her hands before he lowered her down onto her feet and took a step back to take a good look at her. Katrina was dressed in her best, a sapphire-blue striped tank top and black denim miniskirt with her tennis shoes. She wore her honey-colored hair down and looked as lovely as ever. Now that she was here, Katrina had brought a lot of goodies for the animatronics to enjoy. Digging into her backpack, she pulled out playing cards, books to read, and board games. They were all looking really excited, especially Chica.

"Wow! I love these! These are so cool. I can't believe they have things like this! There's so much I've missed out on!" Chica was girlishly gushing over a jewelry kit with ribbons, flowers and gemstones. It was an endearing sight to behold because poor Chica never got a chance to be a girl.

Bonnie was pulling out a game of checkers and eagerly showing it to Foxy. "Check it out! I haven't played this game in years! Hey Foxy, you want to play a few rounds with me?"

But Foxy merely eyed the board games with a bored look. "No thank ye. I'd rather be doin' somethin' way more challenging than dat." They all watched as Foxy turned and walked away with his bushy tail swishing behind him. "I'd best be off practicing me hook swings."

After watching him go, Katrina turned to Bonnie for an explanation. "It's okay. Foxy has always been all about action. He's just looking for his next great adventure…" Bonnie became more interested in the books and started taking them for himself.

Katrina felt Freddy's soft paw on her shoulder and she turned to smile at him while holding up a book for him to see. "I brought some stories that I thought you might be interested in," Katrina told him. "I can read for you if you'd like."

"I'd like that very much," Freddy agreed. "Let's go somewhere quiet." Freddy and Katrina headed off to spend some alone time together while the other animatronics were distracted by new activities.

Meanwhile… Jackie Garvey climbed through the window and now stood in the girls' bathroom. It was dark in here and she didn't want to turn on a light for fear that she might get caught. Katrina Marlowe was somewhere in this building. Once she found out what Katrina was doing here, she would run home and tell Mrs. Cosgrove first thing in the morning. All she had to do was find Katrina… Jackie headed for the bathroom door and was about to go out when she suddenly stopped and started having second thoughts.

Freddy Fazbear's Pizza was scary, especially at night-time. On top of that, there were rumors that this place was haunted. Was it wise for her to go exploring on her own like this? But Jackie shook her head and scolded herself for being so superstitious. Jackie stepped out of the bathroom and looked around to see that the hallways were deserted. It was usually packed with so many people here that seeing it empty only added to its creepiness. Despite the nervous pounding of her heart, Jackie tried not to lose her courage. Besides, if Katrina was brave enough to enter the restaurant, then she could do it too.

At the Pirate Cove, Foxy was trying to concentrate on polishing his hook in order to prepare for his swordplay but the lights kept flickering on and off. With an annoyed growl, Foxy knew perfectly well who was behind it. Golden Freddy thought it was funny messing with the electricity along with his other paranormal pranks. Now Foxy angrily tossed down the rag in frustration and stood up to tell Golden off.

"Avast ye golden devil! Quit messin' wit' the lights! I know ye're the one doin' it! Are ye even listening ter me ye little trickster?" Foxy shouted loudly. While the lights still kept flicking repeatedly, Foxy noticed something else amiss and let out a groan. "And quit' stealin' me posters and drawings! Wait a sec… Where's me favorite drawing? Wha' did ye do wit' it, Golden? How dare ye plunder me treasured drawing?"

Feeling really ticked off now, Foxy marched himself out of Pirate Cove and went to go see if he could locate Golden Freddy whose ghostly presence was stirring things up. "Jus' ye wait til' I get me hook on ye, Golden! Nobody steals from Foxy the Pirate Fox! Ye better pray I don' find ye!"

Walking around the hallways in a fit of agitation, Foxy checked the walls to see if he could find his favorite drawing hung up somewhere. But the pirate fox froze when his ears picked up a new noise. It sounded like someone else was wandering around the halls too. Foxy's amber eyes lit up and immediately began to scan around for the source. There up ahead, that was when he first spotted her. It would appear that they had another nightly visitor here in the pizzeria. A girl… Foxy didn't move and instead observed her from a distance. This was the last thing he expected…

"Katrina? Katrina, are you here? Where are you?" Jackie didn't want to shout too loudly. She couldn't explain it but she was afraid of being overheard. Then again, it's not like anybody else was here, right?

Jackie reached the familiar Dining Area and looked over at the Show Stage. Pure terror seized her when she saw not one but all three animatronics not standing onstage. Where were Freddy, Bonnie and Chica? How come they weren't where they always were? Jackie tried to calm her wildly beating heart and kept telling herself that there had to be a rational explanation for this. Still it didn't stop Jackie from being scared and she was already thinking about getting the heck out of here. But she just couldn't leave Katrina alone here.

"Katrina, are you here? Wherever you are, you better come out! I'm getting really freaked out! You better not jump out and scare me!" Jackie called out again. It was dark and quiet in the restaurant. The animatronics were missing from the stage. Was it possible that they could move on their own? As these paranoid thoughts plagued her mind, Jackie didn't notice the animatronic sneaking by her from behind.

Foxy thought it best to not call attention onto himself. By the looks of it, the girl was pretty jumpy. Just when Foxy almost made it to the pirate cove, his big robotic foot noisily stepped on a forgotten food wrapper. In no time at all, the brunette spun around and had no trouble seeing Foxy standing there like a statue. He could see the girl's sea-green eyes widen in surprise at the sight of him. The girl stared at him for the longest time and Foxy thought about his next move.

"Ahoy?"

"Aaaaaaaaaggggggghhhhh!"

Wrong move. This was enough to set the girl off and she fled from the Dining Area with a look of horror on her face. Foxy slapped a hook over his forehead and at his own stupidity. This was not good. If the girl screamed any louder, she would attract the attention of the other animatronics. Not to mention she now knew their secret here at the restaurant. Regrettably Foxy couldn't allow the girl to leave. Not yet anyway… Having no other choice, Foxy pursued the brunette.

Jackie knew she had to escape from this place and fast. Of all the scary robots, she had to run into the one robot that spooked her the most. Seeing the fox animatronic had shocked her at first, but when it spoke, that was when she knew. The animatronics did wander the pizzeria after-hours… She didn't know what became of poor Katrina but Jackie had to get out and find help. Something bad must have happened. Were the animatronics holding Katrina prisoner in here? Jackie bolted into the girls' bathroom and ran to the open window. To her dismay, the window was too high up for her to reach.

"Avast there lass! Don' do dat! Ye'll hurt yerself doin' dat!"

Jackie started screaming hysterically as she felt herself being pulled away by a powerful hand. Impossible! How did the fox animatronic catch up to her so quickly? Was he really that fast? Jackie fought for her life as she was being carried away from the window and back into the restaurant. She struggled to free herself but the fox animatronic was way stronger and had no trouble holding her with only one hand. When Jackie saw the pirate fox raise his hook to her, it only made her scream more.

Having enough of her high-pitched screams, Foxy was forced to cover her mouth with his metallic hand and talked loudly over her. "Listen ter me lass! I'm not gonna hurt ye! Calm yerself! Sorry fer scarin' ye off like dat, I didn't mean ter! Ye don' have ter be 'fraid of me. I know I be a tough-lookin pirate, lots of thugs be intimidated at the sight of me too. But I jus' love the kiddies who come ter see me. Especially interestin' lovely lasses such as yerself."

Hoping he said enough to convince her, Foxy slowly removed his hand from her pink lips. Jackie couldn't stop trembling as he held her pressed against the wall to keep her from running. She kept glancing nervously at his big shiny hook. "Impressive, isn't it?" Foxy held up the hook for her to see. "Not ter worry, though. Never poked an eye out wit' it! Yar har har har! Makes fer a nice can-opener, too."

Despite his hearty pirate-accent, Jackie was determined not to trust him. Foxy's glowing eyes studied her and smiled upon recognition. "Hey I know who ye be! Ye be the talented Jackie Garvey! I don' believe it! I finally get ter meet the lovely lass who drew dat spectacular picture of me! Tis an honor to meet ye!"

With that, Foxy got down on one knee and gently took Jackie's hand into his metal one. "Allow me ter introduce meself. I'm Foxy the Pirate Fox, plunderer of pizzas, craftiest pirate of the seven seas, Fox of the Caribbean and well… I have lots of nicknames I do."

Jackie's heart leaped in fright when Foxy raised her hand up to his mouth with those alarmingly sharp teeth. Like reflex she took her other hand and slapped his snout away. Foxy didn't appear to be offended by this and was rather impressed that she would dare fight back like that. Now he was beaming down at her while keeping a firm grip on her hand to prevent her from trying to escape. Jackie couldn't tear her eyes away from him and she wondered if this crazy-looking animatronic was going to do her harm.

"Well now…seems like me reputation precedes me," Foxy chuckled. "Yer a fighter… I like dat. A lil' buccaneer beauty like ye is gonna fit in jus' righ'." Jackie gulped nervously and kept her eye on that flashy hook. "So tell me… What brings ye ter the restaurant 'round tis time of night? Lookin' fer trouble, aye? I gotta say, ye've picked the righ' animatronic ter be yer partner fer that!"

Jackie remained silent the whole time, but now she gathered her courage and spoke to the crimson red fox before her. "L-L-Let me go. P-Please I…I don't want to be here," she stammered. Foxy narrowed his eyes down at her, and Jackie cleared her throat and tried to sound more assertive. "Look here robot… I don't know how you're able to move on your own, but you better let me go right now or I will call the police."

But Foxy dismissed her threat and continued to pin her against the wall in the girls' bathroom. He grinned tauntingly at her and couldn't resist having a little fun. "Yer pluckier than I thought. But ye'll have ter forgive me cause I can' let ye go. Yer're me prisoner now. Now all I have ter do is decide what ter do with ye…"

Jackie furiously squirmed in his strong grip while angrily throwing insult after insult at the pirate fox. "Hey no fair! You better unhand me right now you ugly bucket of bolts! I swear if you don't let me leave, I'll tear you apart! Get off me you stupid fox!" No good, she was only amusing him more. Jackie tried another tactic. "You have to let me go. And I want you to let Katrina go too! Are you holding her here against her will?"

"Wait a sec… Did ye say Katrina?" Foxy's ears perked up. "Ye mean Katrina Marlowe? Are ye one of her mates? Tis that be the reason yer're ere'?"

Finally they were getting somewhere. Jackie gave up struggling and thought of talking her way out. "Yes, I know Katrina. I saw her go in here. Where is she? Are you hiding her somewhere?" The more she talked, the calmer she felt. Foxy seemed to enjoy picking on her, but he made no attempts to hurt her. Which meant he was telling the truth earlier…

"Aye, I know Katrina. If ye really must know, she be wit' the Cap'n," Foxy replied. When Jackie didn't understand, Foxy explained. "Cap'n Freddy Fazbear be the one in charge 'round ere'. I only answer ter him… Freddy be entertainin' lil' Katrina righ' now." Foxy smiled beadily down at Jackie's frowning face. "Ye see? Ye have it all wrong. Katrina be in no danger. She come ere' of her own free will.

"I get it. So Katrina sneaks in here at night to mess with the animatronics?" Jackie said nastily. "Oh she's in a world of trouble. Just wait until I tell Mrs. Cosgrove that she's been breaking into a pizzeria at night. She must have been the one who switched you on. That explains why you're moving and talking."

Suddenly Foxy was scowling down at her and didn't like what he was hearing. Now Jackie jumped as Foxy thrust his face into hers. "What's tis? Yer conspiring ter get Katrina into trouble? Dat is so low, even for ol' Foxy!" he chided her. "Tis mutiny fer ye to go against a mate like dat! Sure, I like ter get into trouble too, but I only do it fer fun and laughs. But I won' ever do it outta spite!"

With him being this close to her, Foxy couldn't help noticing that Jackie was covering the right side of her face with her long chocolate-colored hair. Suddenly she looked uncomfortable and wouldn't look him in the eye. It wasn't long before Foxy started pitying her and realizing that she was another troubled kid. If he recalled, she was the one who never liked him and kept judging him for his broken-down appearance. Despite Jackie's sharp-tongue and sassy attitude, she seemed to be suffering from self-esteem.

Foxy's expression soften and with a sigh, he decided to change his tone. "Sorry lass… Whatever yer reasons are fer bein' ere', I wouldn't want ye ter get Katrina into trouble. She means too much ter Freddy."

Now Foxy released Jackie's hand and gave her back her freedom. Jackie continued to eye him suspiciously but at least she wasn't scared anymore. In fact, Foxy found himself starting to like her. She was defiant, didn't give in easily and was stubborn… kinda like him. The other animatronics didn't know about her being here, so Foxy didn't see the harm in letting her stay. It was right then and there that Foxy decided that he wanted to befriend her. A girl like her needed her own faithful animatronic companion and Foxy was more than happy to fill in that post. Unfortunately Jackie had other plans…

"I'm getting out of here. And I'm still telling on Katrina. She shouldn't be sneaking in here at night anyway. She's going to get into trouble or worse arrested. Now are you going to help me reach that window up there?" Jackie sees Foxy staring at her wickedly. "What are you doing? Why are you looking at me like that? Didn't you hear what I said?"

Next Foxy lunged forward and easily snatched up Jackie and swung her over his shoulder without breaking a sweat. "Sorry but not sorry, Jackie. I'm 'fraid I can' let ye stir up trouble. Instead I'm gonna steal ye away and force ye ter join me crew! Time ter set sail fer the seas! Yar har har har har!"

Ignoring Jackie's protests, Foxy proceeded to whisk her away and took the lovely brunette back to his lair. Jackie was astonished at how fast the fox animatronic could run and wondered who in their right mind would ever build such a speedy robot fox? Jackie fought the whole way but Foxy never released her until they've reached his attraction and he brought her right over to his stage. When Foxy dropped her to the floor, Jackie looked up irritably while pushing back her hair from her face. Getting back onto her feet, she confronted the pirate fox.

"How dare you! This is kidnapping! Where did you take me? What is this place?" Jackie huffed.

"Welcome ter the Pirate Cove!" Foxy said happily while gesturing around the big room with pride. "Tis a tropical paradise fer all pirate-lovers! Tis where all me fans gather! Lemme be the firs' one ter welcome ye aboard!"

Despite the fox animatronic's enthusiasm, Jackie wasn't really all that impressed. She never did like coming here. Now she turned and looked over at the exit and wondered if she could still make a run for it. There had to be other ways to leave the restaurant. But Foxy seemed to have read her mind and was smirking deviously down at her. Jackie had to admit she was still creeped out by him. Now Foxy went up and knelt down before her so that she could be eye-to-eye with him.

"I wouldn't run if I were ye, Jackie. Yer in my domain now. If ye try ter run, I'll chase ye down and catch ye! I be the fastest animatronic in the gang and nobody has ever bin' able ter outrun me!" Foxy told her with a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

Jackie believed him. He wasn't going to let her go that easily. But it didn't stop her from being mad. "You're insufferable machine. You can't keep me here forever. What do you even want from me?" Jackie crossed her arms and eyed him with mistrust.

Instead on answering, Foxy turned and sprinted over to a treasure chest sitting in the corner. As she watched, the pirate fox lifted the big chest and carried it over to her. Jackie became curious in spite of herself and wondered if there was actual treasure inside it. When Foxy placed the treasure chest at her feet, she saw that it was filled with eye-patches, bandannas, pirate hats, toy pirate swords, among other pirate collectibles. Now she looked up and saw Foxy grinning like a kid at her.

"Here ye are! Come join me crew!" Foxy offered. Jackie could hardly believe it. He brought her here because he wanted to play? "Ye be the firs' mate I've had in so long! Tis a shame I don' entertain lil tykes anymore. Well don' jus' stand there, go ahead and take out anythin' ye like!"

But Jackie turned her nose up at it with arms still crossed. "No way. I don't like pirates. You've got the wrong idea about me. I've never been one of your fans."

Foxy appeared very wounded about this. He really wanted this Jackie Garvey to like him. Looks like he was gonna have to put on the old piratical charm. "Not a fond of pirates, eh? How can dat be? Ye're the one who drew dat marvelous picture of me, didn't ye?"

"Yeah I did. But I only drew that picture for fun. Not because I was a fan of you," Jackie shrugged. She was determined to not like this Foxy. No matter what, she wanted to keep her distance. She wouldn't trust anyone with sharp teeth and a hook for a hand. Also he had such a shabby appearance that she couldn't stop wrinkling her nose up at him.

Foxy seemed to consider her for a moment, and then smiled wryly. Now he reached into the treasure chest and pulled out the pirate sword. Jackie watched as he held out it to her. "Ye've never played pirates before, have ye? No worries, I can fix dat. Why don' I make the game a bit more interestin?" He had Jackie's attention. "I'll gladly let ye leave Freddy Fazbear's Pizza…but only if ye can defeat me! Sound fair, lass?"

"What? No!" Jackie objected. "This is nuts. I don't like pirates! You can't keep me here. I can still walk out that door." To prove it, Jackie turned and started making her way over to the door. She heard wild laughter behind her and the pattering of running feet.

Before she knew it, Foxy swiftly jumped in her way and blocked the exit. With an aggravated scowl, Jackie tried going around him but the clever pirate fox kept getting in her way. Foxy couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun. It was funny riling up his lovely companion. Now Jackie turned and ran back the other away with Foxy playfully chasing after her. There had to be some way she could get away from this crazy fox. Then without realizing she was doing it, Jackie desperately ended up grabbing the plastic pirate sword from the treasure chest and hoped to use it to fight off Foxy.

"Get back! Or I'll use this!" Jackie held up the pirate sword in warning.

If she thought Foxy would back off, she was sorely mistaken. It seemed that nothing thrilled Foxy more than being challenged. "Now the game gets interestin'…," Foxy said, smiling mischievously. "Nothin' like a good ol' fight between squabblin' pirates! Not ter worry me lovely lil' sea rose, I'll go easy on ye! Come get some!"

Foxy began poking his hook at her in a teasing manner while Jackie furiously thrust the pirate sword repeatedly back at him. Maybe if she distracted him enough, she could manage to sneak out of the Pirate Cove somehow. She had to admire how fast Foxy was on his feet and how he easily dodged her every swing. But what amazed her more was despite looking run-down and broken, Foxy moved with surprising energy. Jackie never saw anything like it before. And the more she watched Foxy sprint around with speed and grace, it made her realize something. Foxy the Pirate Fox was not at all what she expected…

"How did you do that?" Jackie asked. She watched the fox animatronic in awe and began to wonder for the first time about the animatronics here in the pizzeria.

"What? Ye mean tis?" Foxy slid to the left, and then slid to the right. He was rewarded with Jackie's look of amazement. "Pretty cool, eh? Wanna see somethin' else I can do?" Foxy's amber eyes lit up like a flashlight, illuminating the dark Pirate Cove. "Ain't it neat? Comes in handy fer sneakin' into the kitchen fer late snacks!"

"Wow. You do that too?" Jackie said fascinated. She lowered the pirate sword and forgot that she was supposed to be squaring off with him. "I used to steal snacks and hide them away so no one would see."

"A girl of me own heart! I like dat!" Foxy said impressed. He too stopped leaping around and was more interested in talking to the brunette. "I knew ye had the makins of a pirate! Hey since yer ere', why don' ye and me both go ter the kitchen and plunder it of its delicious treasures! Join me!"

Jackie looked thoughtfully down at the toy sword she still held in her hand and wondered what to do. Seeing her uncertainty, Foxy decided to do the honorable thing. "Let's call our duel a tie, aye? If ye wish to leave, I won' stop ye. Yer free ter leave the Pirate Cove."

Foxy took a step back and waited to see what she would do next. Jackie had to admit this was unexpected. She realized that the pirate fox had been nothing but kind to her. Now that she'd gotten over her initial shock of discovering that the animatronics roamed around at night, there were a lot of things she wanted to know. Jackie lowered the plastic pirate sword to the floor and finally made her choice. Foxy was grinning from ear-to-ear when he saw that she was going to stay. When Jackie joined his side, Foxy was already in adventure-mode.

"Righ' then! Off ter raid the kitchens!" Foxy exclaimed. Jackie couldn't help but laughed. And any misgivings she had about the fox animatronic soon vanished.

Minutes later, Foxy took Jackie to the kitchens where she was free to choose a slice of triple chocolate cake to eat. She didn't encounter any other animatronics and curiously wondered where they all were. She and Foxy returned to the Pirate Cove where together they sat onstage where Jackie got to enjoy her cake. Foxy wasn't the least bit awkward and he constantly wanted to talk to her about so many things. It occurred to her that the poor pirate fox must get lonely in this abandoned attraction.

"Ye shoulda seen what tis place was like back then. Many kids came ere' to dress up as pirates, play games ter win golden coins, and best of all, cheer whenever I stepped off dat stage to greet em'!" Foxy was telling her animatedly. "Those were me glory days… Course now all I'm good fer is decoration."

"If you don't mind my asking, how exactly did you get all those holes and tears in your suit?" Jackie asked while sympathetically studying the tattered-looking pirate fox sitting next to her.

"Ye mean these ol' scars?" Foxy thought for a moment and then came up with a clever idea. "I got these scars from a big sea monster that attacked me ship once. Don' worry though, I won dat battle."

Jackie only laughed. "You're quite the storyteller. No wonder kids love you." And then Jackie asked him. "Why won't they fix you, Foxy? It's a shame to see you like this. You could still make a lot of kids happy." But the biggest thing she wanted to know most of all was this. "You're in really bad shape. Doesn't that ever bother you? How can you stand looking like that?"

Foxy gazed into Jackie's sea-green eyes and wondered what exactly was on her mind. He had the feeling earlier that she was insecure about herself. Not to mention he noticed that the right side of her face was covered by her long brown hair as though she were trying to hide herself. Foxy decided that he wanted to get to the bottom of this. He wanted to know what was really troubling Jackie Garvey. He may be disused these days but Foxy the Pirate Fox still made it his sworn duty to help and protect children.

"Well lass… Looks ain't everthin. I may be a washed-up ol' fox but I don' let it bring me down. Do ye wanna know why I'm so popular?" Jackie nodded her head. "Tis because of me personality. I be proud of who I am. I love goin' on adventures, meeting challenges, overcomin' obstacles. I think dat is why kids love me cause' they find me ter be an inspiration. They all wanna be daring and bold like Foxy!"

Foxy gave his battered chest a hearty thump with his fist. "The landlubbers be too cheap to fix me up. But the kids love me anyway. So ter answer yer question, no I am not bothered by me holes, tears and rips. I have no reason ter be ashamed of me appearance. All me mateys and fans accept me as I am. Yer only shame is ter have shame. Do ye understand, Jackie?"

Jackie remained silent and thought about everything Foxy told her just now. It made her wonder if she'd been wrong about herself. When she didn't say anything, Foxy spoke. "I may not be easy on the eyes, but I still be a charming pirate. Lemme prove it to ye! Give me yer hand!"

Foxy held out his hand to her and Jackie immediately hesitated. Reading the look on her face, Foxy chuckled softly. "Don' worry, I won' bite ye. Give me yer hand, Jackie. Ye know I'm not gonna hurt ye."

There Jackie placed her trembling hand into Foxy's metal one and watched as Foxy brought her hand up to his sharp mouth…and gently pressed his snout onto her palm in what was unmistakably a kiss. So that was what Foxy had tried to do back at the girls' bathroom. He wasn't trying to bite her. And that was when Jackie realized all this time she'd misjudged Foxy. He wasn't a scary villain at all; instead he was a dashing pirate fox with a heart as big as the ocean. For the first time ever, she let down her guard. Foxy smiled warmly and moved his hook to carefully caress her long string of chocolate-brown hair. Until Foxy accidentally brushed aside her bangs and got a good look at her face.

"Gracious!" Foxy cried. Jackie became mortified because Foxy staring at the horrible cut on her right cheek. So this was what she was trying to hide from everyone. "Avast Jackie! Wait! Don' run out on me!" Jackie tearfully left her cake behind and was already running for the exit. But Foxy couldn't let her go like this. He easily caught up with her and scooped her up into his arms.

"Let me go! Let go of me! I don't need you gawking at it like everyone else does!" Jackie said sharply. She angrily tried to get Foxy to drop her but Foxy firmly held onto her and carried her back to the stage.

Foxy lowered Jackie onto the stage and stood in front of her to keep her from escaping. Jackie opened her mouth to say something nasty but saw Foxy frowning seriously down at her and kept quiet. Out of embarrassment she reached up to push her bangs over her scar but jumped when Foxy grabbed her wrist and prevented her from doing so. Foxy finally had her figured out. He knew what this was really all about. One way or another, he was going to get an explanation for this. Jackie grew nervous at how Foxy's eyes glowed fiercely and his expression had hardened.

"Who did this to ye?" Foxy growled which made Jackie flinch. "Did somebody do this to ye? Was it somebody from tis ere' restaurant? I wanna know! Speak up lass!"

"What difference does it make? The scar means nothing. I don't know if it'll ever heal or not, but it's always going to be there…," And then Foxy felt his heart break when he saw the lovely brunette break into tears and finally succumbed to her grief. "My mother did this to me…" she confessed at long last.

Foxy's jaw dropped and he could only listen with disbelief as Jackie did the one thing she hadn't done before. She told Foxy her story. "For as long as I can remember, my mother was a mean and bitter woman. Nothing ever seemed to make her happy. She was so hateful towards everyone. But she especially resented me. My mother wasn't an attractive woman and she couldn't stand that I was so much prettier than her. So out of jealousy she constantly put me down and belittled me. Every day my mom came up with new ways to insult and disrespect me. And the abuse just kept on getting worse and worse…"

Jackie reached up to wipe away the tears from her eyes before continuing. "And then one day… My mother brought home a new boyfriend. She was constantly dating men and never had time for me. However her newest boyfriend had taken a liking to me that before long he was taking me to fun places, buying me whatever I wanted and treating me like I was his very own daughter. But my mother didn't like that and wanted her boyfriend to pay attention to her and not me. She would never stop yelling and complaining to him that he was supposed to be dating her."

Foxy gently slipped Jackie's hand into his and held it tightly. "It wasn't long before mom's boyfriend grew tired of her and began seeing her as a cruel woman who cared about no one but herself. I have a feeling he was starting to suspect that my mom was abusing me. The next time he came over, it was to break up with her and he wanted to take me away. Mother was livid and that was when she really lost control. In her anger, she took it out on me. She accused me of sabotaging her relationship with all her boyfriends. I think she was sick of having me around…"

Jackie shuddered at the traumatizing memories while Foxy squeezed her hand and didn't rush her. "That was when it happened…right there in front of the boyfriend. I don't know what was going through her mind. But she must have had so much hate in her. The next thing I know, my mother is grabbing a butcher knife and slashing it in my face. Luckily it didn't cut too deep but she got me in my right cheek. My mother was cackling and saying I didn't look so pretty now. After that, the cops came and arrested her on the spot for assaulting a minor.

Now Jackie looked up at Foxy and was smiling despite tears still dripping down her cheeks. "Last I heard, my mother has been locked up at a mental hospital. They're telling me she's never getting out. But I never…thought…that she…that I…"

It was too much. Jackie couldn't stop crying as she finally faced the atrocity that had been done to her. She felt Foxy take her into his arms and embraced her while she cried. Foxy truly felt honored to be the one to comfort Jackie and make her feel safe again. He missed entertaining kids but what he missed most of all was being the friend that kids desperately needed. Once he managed to calm Jackie down and hand her some napkins for her eyes, he wanted to teach her an important lesson.

"Me darling buccaneer beauty… I have lots of scars too, but I wear em' as a symbol of the many battles I fought and won. Me scars are proof of me toughness. I will never be ashamed of em." With that, Foxy went over to the treasure chest, took out a red bandanna, then returned to Jackie and handed it to her. "Tis me gift to you, Jackie. Never be ashamed of yer scar. It means yer're survivor."

Jackie eyed the red bandanna and this time took with it resolution. She used it to push back her hair and tied it in place. Foxy stared into Jackie's face and was actually enthralled by what he saw. Jackie Garvey was smiling with pride and she was absolutely pleasing to the eye. He hoped that she would take his words to heart and never forget what he taught her. With that out of the way, Foxy was free to have fun with his newest member of his crew.

"Well now… Did I ever yell ye I know how ter cheat those crane games of their loot?" Foxy volunteered. "Come wit' me and I'll show ye the best way ter get a prize." With that, Foxy led an eager Jackie over to the crane games kept in the Pirate Cove.

At the Employee Lounge, Katrina was sitting nestled in Freddy's lap and was reading out-loud a story. Freddy listened to her voice with rapt attention that he paid little attention to anything else. But while Katrina was in the middle of reading a good part, Freddy's bear ears did eventually pick something up. It was the faint at first, but he sensed a supernatural presence trying to reach out to him. Freddy recognized it as spiritual communication and there was only one person who had that unique ability. Katrina looked up when she saw Freddy being distracted by something.

"What is it Freddy? Is there something wrong?" Katrina got concerned when Freddy gently lifted her off his lap and he climbed mechanically back to his feet. He appeared to be listening out for something. "What's going on? Is something happening?"

"Shhhh… It's Golden. He's trying to tell me something…," Freddy said mysteriously. After a moment of silence, Freddy was somehow able to hear the golden bear's telepathic message. "That's strange. Another girl in the restaurant? Over at Pirate Cove? Oh dear, I wonder what Foxy's been up to." Freddy was saying with a shake of his head.

"Wait…there's someone else here?" Katrina said surprised. Now she followed Freddy out of the Employee Lounge and the two of them headed to Pirate Cove to investigate.

When they arrived at Pirate Cove, Katrina was in for a bigger surprise when she spotted none other than Jackie Garvey. In her arms she held plush dolls and was watching Foxy open the lid of a crane game and was using his hook to easily pick up the prizes inside. They were both sharing a sly laugh with each other while stealing prizes. Foxy happen to look up and caught sight of Freddy standing there and frowning disapprovingly at him. Foxy hastily closed the lid at once and stepped forward to greet the bear animatronic in an unconvincing innocent manner.

"Ahoy Cap'n! Didn't see ye there! Jus' fixin' these ere' cranes," Foxy said a little too quickly.

"I should have known," Freddy said knowingly. He turned his attention to the girl standing beside Foxy who was staring back at him uneasily. He didn't recognize her; however Katrina seemed to know her. She stepped forward and addressed the brunette.

"Jackie? What are you doing here? Hey wait…," Katrina frowned suspiciously. "Did you follow me here? Why would you do that?"

Jackie breathed easy when she finally saw Katrina. It was good to know she was okay. "Yeah I did follow you here," she admitted. "I wanted to know where you were going at night-time." Now Jackie looked curiously up at Freddy Fazbear who stood by Katrina's side. "Well that explains everything… So you were seeing someone here. Only it wasn't a boy…"

Katrina blushed but became annoyed by Jackie's remark. "Ok, ok. You got me. The truth is I've been coming here to see Freddy and his friends." Then she said more urgently. "Please Jackie. You can't tell anyone that I've been coming here at night. And you especially can't tell anyone about the animatronics here. It has to be a secret."

"Relax already. I'm not going to tell on you," Jackie said coolly. "Thanks to Foxy, he convinced me not to rat you out. In fact, turns out pirates aren't so bad after all." Foxy was deeply moved by Jackie's acceptance of him.

Then Bonnie and Chica arrived at the Pirate Cove. "What's going on in here?" Bonnie asked. He sees all the toys and prizes littered on the floor from the cranes. "Heh. So you've been stealing prizes again. I told you it was only a matter of time before someone took notice." Bonnie told Foxy.

"Ah-ha! That explains why kids keep going to the Pirate Cove. You deliberately leave those toys out for them to find, don't you?" Chica scolded.

Now Jackie stood looking at four moving and talking animatronics. The more she studied them; she was struck with a sudden thought. It was almost like they were all really alive. None of them acted like typical machines. She remembered the stories about this place being haunted. Maybe the restaurant wasn't' the one that was haunted… Seeing all the animatronics with their own personality really made her wonder. Was it possible that they were…?

"Do you plan on staying here all night, Jackie?" Katrina asked her.

"No. I guess I'll head back to the house now," Jackie yawned. "It's getting late. I'll be okay on my own." Jackie turned and started to walk away but said over her shoulder to Katrina. "I promise I won't tell anyone about this, Katrina."

Foxy hurried after Jackie like an excited puppy. "I'll give ye an escort! Ye should come back and visit me! I'll leave all kinds of presents fer ye! Hey I know! We can leave secret messages! Won' dat be fun, Jackie?"

Chica watched Foxy and Jackie disappear down the hall together. "I don't think I've ever seen Foxy that hyper before. That girl sure is tough-looking. Did you notice the scar on her face? I wonder where she got it." The others merely shrugged their shoulders.

Katrina had also noticed Jackie's scar too. But what surprised her more than anything was that Jackie had tied back her hair and didn't appear the least bit self-conscious about her looks. Katrina didn't know what went down at the Pirate Cove, but it seemed that Foxy and Jackie had ended up bonding with each other. Just like her and Freddy. And speaking of which… Freddy put an arm around her and actually looked happy for Foxy and Jackie. Clearly he knew something she didn't.


	19. To love an animatronic

**Hey there readers! Thanks for tuning in! Hope everyone is having a spectacular 4th of July weekend. As a treat, I've decided to bring in the newest chapter for readers to enjoy! I'm so glad everyone liked the last chapter with Jackie Garvey's past finally be revealed. That just leaves Katrina... Don't worry, the story's not over yet!**

Katrina Marlowe opened her eyes and let out a yawn while stretching out her legs. She was inside her own bedroom after coming back early this morning. Like he always did, Freddy Fazbear saw her to the bathroom window and bided her good-bye for now. She had so much fun last night reading fairytales to Freddy who loved nothing more to listen to the sound of her voice. Although she hadn't expected to run into Jackie Garvey at the pizzeria. It still made her wonder what went on between her and Foxy. Whatever it was, Foxy must have inspired a change in Jackie because the brunette was no longer going around covering her scar out of shame.

Time to get up today. Katrina went over to her bureau to look for a pair of clothes. After getting changed, Katrina headed downstairs where she entered the kitchen and found the other four girls seated around the kitchen table eating breakfast. She grabbed a plate and went to go help herself to some bacon and eggs that Mrs. Cosgrove just cooked for them. As Katrina sat down to eat her breakfast, Tracy, Danielle, and Gina couldn't stop staring over at Jackie who was finishing the rest of her bacon. Jackie was still wearing the red bandanna that Foxy had given to her and she wasn't paying any attention to the questioning looks from the other girls.

Good for her, thought Katrina. She was glad to see that Jackie was no longer hiding a part of herself. Thanks to Foxy, she seemed to have gotten back her confidence. Jackie looked prettier than ever and she was ignoring the whisperings from Tracy and Danielle. But the longer Katrina watched Jackie, it made her realize something. Thanks to Freddy Fazbear, she too was feeling better than she had in days. She hadn't felt depressed lately and wasn't thinking about her parents as much as she used to. She owed so much to Freddy and couldn't wait to see him soon. After finishing her breakfast, Katrina left the kitchen and went to go stand in front of the hallway mirror to comb her honey-brown hair and check her appearance which was flawless as always. Just as she was putting on her shoes, she looked up when Jackie came in.

"Already heading back to the pizzeria, huh?" Jackie crossed her arms and smiled knowingly at her. "You really can't get enough of that place. I'd come visit too but Mrs. Cosgrove said I have a visitor today."

"That's okay. I'll tell Foxy you said hi," Katrina said cheerfully. "It's Karaoke at the pizzeria where kids get to sing with Freddy. I'm not a very good singer but I do like to listen to Freddy sing. He's like the heart and soul of the place. I love watching him perform onstage." Katrina realized she was prattling on and it got embarrassing.

Jackie studied her thoughtfully for a moment. "Hey Katrina, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

Jackie didn't beat around the bush. "What's your relationship with Freddy Fazbear?"

Katrina pretended to be busy tying her shoelaces but tried to sound matter-of-fact. "Oh well uh… we're just friends. He's like my favorite character. After all he is the mascot of the restaurant, right?" Katrina hoped her red face couldn't be seen.

Jackie paused. "I see the way he looks at you," she admitted. "His smile is so affectionate whenever he lays eyes on you. It's almost like you're the only one in the room." Then she added as an afterthought. "Freddy has feelings for you, doesn't he? Haven't you ever noticed it before?"

Unfortunately Katrina didn't know how to answer that. Of course she's noticed it. She and Freddy had bonded like no other. The more she got to know him, the closer she felt to him. Freddy became her friend and protector. But a love interest? Never! She could never have feelings for a robot. It sounded way too absurd and whoever heard of falling in love with an animatronic of all things? " _Ahhh…but he's not really an animatronic. He's a ghost boy in disguise. Isn't that who you really have feelings for?"_ said a clever voice in Katrina's head.

"Katrina?" Jackie's voice snapped her out of her reverie. "Did you hear me? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Katrina replied absent-mindedly. "I won't be back until dinner-time. See ya." She rushed out the front door before Jackie could ask her anymore questions about her feelings for Freddy.

Upon arriving at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, Katrina chained her bike to a lamp-post before heading inside the crowded restaurant. When entering the Dining Area, she saw a lot of excited kids gathering around the big lovable teddy bear standing front-center onstage. Best of all, it would be Freddy Fazbear who got to choose which little kid he wanted to share the stage with him. As happy as she was to see him, Katrina couldn't stop thinking about what Jackie told her. She watched Freddy jovially greet his fans with open arms and began to wonder… Could this big-hearted bear have strong feelings for her?

Freddy had no trouble spotting her in the large crowd and his smile grew larger while his sky-blue eyes gazed lovingly at her. It was exactly as Jackie said… Freddy was cheerily waving her over but she held up a dismissive hand and politely shook her head no thanks. Katrina felt bashful all of a sudden and it made her heart do a somersault. Was this how Freddy made "her" feel? Freddy looked disappointed when she turned him down. Now Katrina decided to head over to the Prize Corner and finally cash in some of the tokens she'd been collecting. She was half-way there when out of nowhere, Bonnie the Bunny stepped directly into her path.

"Hi Bonnie. How are…Hey! What are you doing?" Katrina cried as Bonnie began using his big body to push her back toward the Show Stage.

"Sorry Katrina. Freddy's orders…," Bonnie said with an apologetic smile.

The bunny animatronic proceeded to steer her back toward the Show Stage where Katrina saw Freddy patiently waiting for her with a smug smile. That crafty bear planned this! Freddy Fazbear extended his hand to her and that was when Katrina knew that he'd chosen her. So much for trying to duck out of this. Katrina accepted his hand and Freddy gentlemanly helped her up onstage where she now stood by his side. It made her nervous to see that everyone's eyes were on her and the mascot of the pizzeria. Even Bonnie wanted to watch and even encouraged all the kids to gather around the Show Stage.

"Freddy…I'm not sure I can do this," Katrina said out the corner of her mouth. "I'm not a good singer." Then one of the staff kindly brought her a microphone and she grew more uneasy. "I don't think I can do this." But Freddy wasn't paying attention to her. Instead his eyes had hardened and he was staring coldly at the man who handed her the microphone. "Freddy?"

Freddy turned back to her and he appeared friendly again. "It's okay, Katrina. You'll do fine. It's all about having fun. You can sing whatever song you want and I'll guide you." The bear animatronic chuckled good-naturedly. But Katrina studied him and wondered if she'd imagined seeing that hostile expression…

Next the Show Stage lit up with colorful rainbow-colors and music started to play. Freddy raised the microphone to his mouth with his eyes on Katrina. "Ready for Freddy? Just repeat everything I sing, that's all you have to do." Then his voice softens upon seeing Katrina's uncertainty. "Don't be afraid. Keep your eyes on me. You won't make a mistake, I promise."

Without further ado, Freddy began to sing loud and slowly which made it easier for Katrina to keep up with him. Once she got the hang of it, Katrina realized it wasn't so bad. She was actually singing onstage with Freddy Fazbear! It made other kids want to sing along with her too, but like always, it was Freddy's benevolent booming voice that had everyone's attention. While all eyes were on them, Freddy and Katrina stared into each other eyes and never looked away. And then Katrina remembered something else Jackie had told her. _It's almost like you're the only one in the room._ But she couldn't help it if that was how she felt about Freddy… After her successful duet with Freddy, other kids lined up to sing karaoke too. Katrina was having so much fun listening to all the kids sing their favorite songs.

When the festivities were over, Freddy was free to roam around the Dining Area at his leisure. The first thing he wanted was to seek out Katrina and spend time with her. His blue eyes scanned the crowd until he spotted Katrina Marlowe. To his dismay, Katrina was happily chatting with a cute boy with chestnut-colored hair. Freddy stopped and stared at them in chagrin. He never thought he see Katrina with another boy. Freddy didn't like it, he wanted Katrina for himself. The animatronic bear jealously began to making his way over to them.

"I see you come here all the time. You must be a huge fan of Freddy & friends," the boy was saying to her. "My name is Corey. What's yours?"

"I'm Katrina. I'm a big fan of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. I like watching the animatronics perform," Katrina said shyly. "Do you like the characters here too?"

"Of course I do," Corey told her. "My favorite is Bonnie. I'm learning to play guitar just like him! You should hear me play sometime. I'm getting really good at it." He leaned coolly on the table while trying to impress the lovely girl before him.

"Really? What kind of guitar is it? Do you have it right now? Can I see it?" Katrina asked interested.

Without warning, Freddy Fazbear suddenly appeared and his powerful booming voice interrupted their conversation. "Hi there kids! Welcome to my restaurant! Is this a private party or can anyone join?" Freddy laughed humorously and greeted Katrina. "Hello there little lady. Want to see my comedy routine?"

"Um…no that's okay," Katrina said awkwardly. Freddy was acting weird and she noticed he was blocking the boy named Corey from her. This wasn't like Freddy…

Corey was frowning at the animatronic bear in annoyance. "What's with this thing? Move aside bear!" He stepped around Freddy and approached Katrina. "I don't have my guitar on me. But if you want, you can come to my house and I'll play it for you. Why don't we leave here and go…"

"Come now! No need to leave the party so soon!" Freddy cheerfully interrupted. He came in between them and shoved Corey aside. "Why don't I get my good friend Chica to bring you some tasty pizza to enjoy? Can't have fun on an empty stomach!"

Now Katrina was starting to see Freddy's behavior as intrusive. "Freddy, what do you think you're doing?" Katrina said in a hushed voice to him. "This is childish, even for you. Don't you think you're going a little overboard here?"

Again Corey flashed the mascot of the pizzeria an exasperated scowl and stepped around him. "This animatronic is bugging us. Let's go somewhere else." Corey reached out and took Katrina by the hand to lead her away.

Like reflex, Freddy Fazbear moved fast and deliberately bumped into Corey and watched in satisfaction as the boy got knocked over and fell clumsily to the ground. "Whoops! No running in the pizzeria. Our rules are to ensure the safety of our guests. Here sport, I'll help you." A smiling Freddy held out his hand to help the boy up.

Katrina was absolutely shocked that Freddy would go and pull a stunt like that. While Corey grumpily got back to his feet without Freddy's aid, she became so disgusted with Freddy's possessive behavior that she turned and walked away in a huff. She couldn't believe what she just saw. What was Freddy thinking? Katrina stormed down the aisle until she reached the Show Stage. When she turned around, she saw Freddy following her and looking proud of what he'd done! Freddy Fazbear had beaten his rival and won back his girl.

"Good thing I chased him off," Freddy said gleefully. "Just so you know he doesn't like Bonnie or any of us characters. He doesn't play the guitar and he's constantly flirting with a lot of girls. I should know; I watch him. It's amazing what you can learn when you're an animatronic."

But Katrina was in such a bad mood and she angrily confronted him. "What gives you the right to meddle like that? Have you totally lost it? Why would you go and do something like that?"

"Keep your voice down…," Freddy carefully looked around the crowd to makes sure no one was watching them. Then he kept his voice low so as not to be overheard. "I was only looking out for you, Katrina. I not only entertain children, I protect them too. Besides, you don't know that boy very well. You shouldn't be so trusting."

"And you shouldn't be so jealous!" Katrina retorted. "I can talk to any boy I want. You need to stop showing up and scaring them away! What were you thinking?" Katrina tried not to talk too loudly but she wasn't going to tolerate Freddy always guarding her.

Freddy understood her anger but he meant well. He smilingly offered his hand to her, but Katrina didn't take it. "Katrina…," he said quietly. "Don't be mad at me. I only want to protect you. You mean a lot to me." Katrina crossed her arms and looked away from him. "Katrina… Please don't be this way. You know I'd do anything for you. You're my girl…"

"I am not your girl!" Katrina lost her temper before she could stop it. "Whatever it is you think we have, we don't! We could never truly be together and you know it!" Katrina realized what she just said. She immediately wished she could take back those scathing words. But it was too late. The worst part was seeing the look on Freddy's face.

Hurt was written all over Freddy's expression as he gazed down at the beautiful girl who rejected him. He always knew deep down inside that Katrina probably wouldn't feel the same way about him as he did for her. But to hear her actually say it…it was harder than he thought. It also confirmed his worst fears. Maybe this was all one big mistake. Who could ever love an animatronic bear like him? Freddy kept his emotions hidden, but his somber scowl told Katrina that he was deeply affected by her harsh words.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I was way out of line. I better go." And just like that, Freddy turned away and went to go look for other kids to entertain. He wouldn't look back, not even when Katrina pleaded for him to come back.

Things went sour between her and Freddy since then. All day Katrina tried countless times to get Freddy to talk to her. But no matter what she said, Freddy ignored her. She didn't mean to hurt him like she did. She only wanted to apologize. However it did give Katrina time to think about her feelings regarding the animatronic bear. The two of them had gotten so close that Freddy started harboring romantic feelings toward her. At first she thought it was cute, only to realize that Freddy's feelings were real. All this time he'd been dreaming about loving her and yet she felt like she'd gone and took that away from him. How could she do that?

Katrina sadly sat alone at a table with her head down and with only Chica to talk to. "What am I going to do, Chica?" Katrina was saying gloomily. "Freddy won't talk to me. I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry. I'm sure everything will work itself out," Chica said soothingly while holding up her plate with Pom-Pom on it. "Give Freddy some time. He won't stay mad for long. When the time comes, Freddy will come back to you and be ready to talk."

"I hope so…," Katrina sighed. She watched as a playful little boy climbed up onstage and approached Freddy Fazbear. Looking at his big microphone with great fascination, the boy reached out to try to take the microphone out of Freddy's hand in order to play with it. Just as Freddy was kindly about to allow the child to have it, a stern-looking security guard stepped forward and firmly put a stop to it.

"I'm afraid you can't take that, young man. It's not a toy. You're not allowed to touch Freddy," the security guard forced the young boy off the stage and away from the animatronic bear.

Then Katrina saw it happen for a second time… Freddy's amicable smile vanished. The animatronic bear glared hatefully at the security guard and wouldn't break eye-contact. His eyes were devoid of warmth or laughter, instead they were hard and mean-looking. The security guard backed away as if sensing Freddy's aggression but kept a wary eye on him all the same. Katrina was unnerved by what she saw. She wasn't the only one, Chica had witnessed it too.

"Why does he get like that?" Katrina whispered to Chica. "Freddy gets really uptight around adults. Do you know why?"

Chica hesitated, then bent down and brought her beak close to Katrina's ear and whispered in it. "Freddy hates security guards. He doesn't trust any of them, especially around the kids."

"Freddy hates security guards?" Katrina repeated. "But why? I thought the security guards are here to protect the restaurant and the people in it. Isn't that supposed to be a good thing?"

But Chica shook her head. When Chica and Katrina looked back over at the Show Stage, it was to see Freddy acting like his charming self again. Chica was silent, and then told Katrina in a hollow voice. "It was a security guard who murdered us… Freddy hasn't trusted adults ever since."

Katrina was left aghast at this revelation. And then she found herself looking at the faces of all the security guards that wandered around the restaurant during work-hours. She wondered if the killer was among them. It was disturbing to know that Freddy and his friends had been killed by someone you're supposed to trust. According to the Puppet, the killer had been someone who dressed all in purple. From what she could see, none of the security guards here were wearing purple. So that meant the killer wasn't here…Which was comforting to know.

However Katrina still had a problem. Freddy wouldn't speak to her. Her biggest fear was that he might not want her around anymore. "I'm really worried, Chica. I hurt Freddy's feelings. I didn't mean to. What if he doesn't want me to come around anymore?"

"Freddy would never do that," Chica insisted. "Be patient with him, Katrina. Freddy will come around." Chica hated seeing Katrina looking upset so she smiled kindly. "Oh I know! How about I bring you some of that zesty-cheese pizza you like so much. Maybe it'll make you feel better!"

Katrina was grateful for Chica trying to cheer her up. But she couldn't take her eyes off of Freddy who was merrily singing happy birthday to a gorgeous raven-haired girl wearing a pretty-looking green dress. Freddy finished singing and gallantly tipped his top-hat to her, earning an endearing smile from the girl. This bothered Katrina as she jealously watched Freddy hold out his hand and invite the girl to come walk with him. It got worse when she saw Freddy parade around with that raven-haired girl by his side. Finally Katrina decided she had enough…

"Katrina wait! Please don't get angry!" Chica protested. She saw Katrina rise from her chair and start heading over to Freddy. "It's not what you think Katrina! It's only part of the job. Freddy's only entertaining kids, that's all it is. Katrina, don't!" Chica couldn't stop Katrina.

While Freddy proudly escorted the birthday girl around the pizzeria, inside he felt dejected. He couldn't get Katrina's harsh words out of his head. She all but told him that she didn't feel the same way about him. He could love her, devote himself to her, protect her, but Katrina only saw him as a machine. He fought to keep his emotions under control and tried keeping a big smile glued to his face. This wasn't about him, this was about the children. Suddenly Katrina came out of nowhere and possessively latched onto his other arm.

Freddy lowered his eyes to look down at her and noticed Katrina held onto his arm with determination. The girl on his left frowned over at Katrina and found her presence intrusive. How odd was this? Here he was marching around with two lovely girls on his arms and looking every inch the ladies' man. The parents thought it was cute while some kids thought it was funny. Bonnie and Chica stood side-by-side and were sharing a laugh with each other over it. But no one was more amused than Freddy Fazbear. It seemed that his deliberately ignoring Katrina earlier was starting to pay off…

Katrina didn't pay attention to the laughs and stares she was receiving from people. She didn't care what anyone thought. The idea of Freddy Fazbear getting attached to another girl infuriated Katrina. It made her want to take back her beloved teddy bear. Then she realized she was acting just as bad as Freddy... So this is what it was like to be jealous. The fear of losing someone… Katrina looked up and saw Freddy grin knowingly down at her. He wasn't angry with her and she was relieved. Without warning, Freddy Fazbear crouched down and opened his arms wide and shouted out to all the kids nearby.

"I'm feeling like a pile of love today! Come here kids for your free Fazbear hugs! Don't be shy!" The kids were practically fighting to be first in line as they all happily embraced the animatronic bear. Freddy hugged each and every one of them while the Toreador's March musically played straight from his heart.

Katrina stepped aside and allowed the children to go get their hugs from the mascot of the pizzeria. Freddy thrived on making children happy; she could see that. He was bossy, stubborn, and a little stern. But underneath all that he was strong, kind and incredibly noble. None of these kids knew the Freddy Fazbear she knew. She didn't realize how lucky she was until now. Katrina watched a little boy laughingly wiggled Freddy's bear ears and she felt touched by how loving Freddy was toward small children. Freddy gazed into her eyes and held out his arms for her next. Katrina couldn't deny it any longer. She had feelings for him too… She was wrong to push him away like she did.

Freddy sighed with delight as Katrina Marlowe went into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his head. He saw the love and admiration in her eyes and knew that she had finally seen him in a new light. He didn't care what anyone thought…Katrina was his girl. Yet Freddy knew it wouldn't be forever. Sooner or later, Katrina would move on her life and he would never see her again. It was depressing at first, but Freddy decided he wanted to cherish these precious moments he had with this darling girl. Right then and there, Freddy finally made his decision. This was his last chance to make an old dream come true. As Katrina held the animatronic bear close, she heard a familiar ghost voice that only she could hear.

" _Will you go on a date with me, Katrina? I've always wanted to go on my first date. Before I died, I've started to show interest in girls. I regret never having the chance to fall in love. But you can make that happen for me. Come back to the pizzeria tonight and I'll show you the most romantic time of your life. Please say yes, Katrina…"_

It was a strange request. Katrina never thought she'd see the day that she'd get asked out by a robot of all things. But she didn't care. "Yes Freddy. I'll go on a date with you," Katrina accepted.

* * *

 **This was a really romantic one. The growing love between Freddy and Katrina is purely innocent and born from a ghost boy's wish to fall in love. Also I'll bet readers couldn't help noticing Freddy's hostility toward the restaurant staff...especially security guards. It's foreshadowing of a tragic incident that will soon occur. I won't say anything more, don't want to spoil it. Enjoy the 4th of July fireworks, guys!**


	20. Beauty and the Bear

**Welcome back, FNAF readers. Here's the newest chapter. Happy reading!**

* * *

"Freddy, will you hold still?" Chica chided. She stood at the kitchen sink and was scrubbing Freddy clean with a sponge, but it wasn't easy with the animatronic bear being so fidgety. "Can you quit squirming so much? How am I supposed to give your belly a good washing?"

After Katrina agreed to go on a date with Freddy Fazbear, she'd gone home so to get herself ready. From the moment the restaurant closed up for the night and the animatronics switched to free-roaming mode, Freddy was obsessed with making everything perfect. He was more self-conscious than ever about his appearance and wanted to himself look as nice as possible for Katrina. Now Chica was helping him by cleaning his animatronic suit while Bonne was giving him a mechanical check-up. This date was important to Freddy…It was his one chance to have happiness.

"How's it looking, Bonnie? Did you spot any problems? My left leg was acting up earlier. What about my right arm? It doesn't feel loose anymore. Don't forget to fix my microphone!" Freddy babbled on endlessly.

Bonnie was busily tinkering with Freddy's left leg and was finishing up. "Everything's in working order, Freddy. No Freddy, your right arm is working fine. I did fix your microphone and remembered to check your servo," Bonnie answered all of Freddy's constant questions.

"Thanks Bonnie. I wouldn't want to run into any problems," Freddy said gratefully before turning his attention back onto Chica. "Did you remember to wash my top-hat and bow-tie? I want to look my best!"

"Oh for goodness's sake, Freddy," Chica rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. "You're worrying over nothing. Katrina won't care how you look, she'll just be happy to see you. Now hold still!" Chica made Freddy spin around so that she could start rinsing his back.

Freddy straightened his bow-tie and kept assuring himself that he looked fine. In fact, he looked the same as always…like a big brown teddy bear. He wanted to make this a special night for both him and Katrina. Once Chica was done giving him a bath, Freddy exited the kitchen and went around making sure everything was set for his date. He already had it all planned out. Freddy was such a nervous-wreck that he wouldn't stop pacing around restlessly, causing the other animatronics to gather around to watch. None of them had ever seen their leader this tense before.

"No worries Cap'n, ye'll do fine. If ye wanna woo the lovely lass, I'd say give her jewelry," Foxy suggested. "I've got lots of pretty jewels and gems in me treasure chests! Why not give Katrina somethin' pretty ter wear?"

But Bonnie was shaking his head doubtfully. "Nah, Katrina already wears a golden heart locket. How about serenading her with music? I'm sure I can play romantic tunes with my guitar!"

"You could always spoil her with chocolates and candy!" Chica offered. "We have lots of sweets in the kitchen. I'm sure Katrina would like something like that."

Now Freddy turned and faced his friends. "Okay, okay. Foxy will give her treasure, Bonnie can provide the music, and Chica is in charge of sweets. Now if you'll excuse me, I have something important to do." With that, Freddy hurried off to the arcade room.

At the arcade, a window had been left open to let in some air. It was an enchanting night with silver clouds rolling by a shining full-moon alongside glittering stars. Katrina would be arriving soon so he had to do this fast. Freddy approached the open window, stuck his arm outside and tried reaching for his prize. It wasn't easy because his programming sometimes deterred him from going out any further. But Freddy didn't give up. He wouldn't rest until he got what he wanted. Ignoring the ERROR in his program, the animatronic bear continued to stretch out his robotic arm with his eyes on the prize.

The moment finally arrived… Freddy stood formally by the girls' bathroom and was ready for the date. He heard the familiar sounds of Katrina coming through the bathroom window and he tried to calm his nerves. The door opened and out stepped Katrina Marlowe. From the second he laid eyes on her, Freddy did a double-take. He never expected Katrina to dress up for him but she did. Katrina was ravishing in a royal-purple dress with matching hot-pink sleeves and had on strapped black mary-janes shoes. Her long honey-hair was brushed elegantly down to her waist and she wore her usual gold heart locket. She was looking just as nervous as Freddy.

"Do I look alright? Am I overdressed?" Katrina said meekly. She was waiting for Freddy's reaction.

Freddy stared at the bewitching sight before him and it brought a heartfelt smile to his face. "You look absolutely beautiful, Katrina," he said at last. Freddy removed his top-hat and bowed before her like the true gentleman that he was.

With a smile, Katrina placed her hand into Freddy's big paw and noticed that the mascot bear had a certain shine to him tonight. It was probably because she's never seen him look this happy before. This really made her excited about the date she agreed to. Freddy escorted her toward the Dining Area where he quickly pulled out a chair for her and Katrina took a seat. Freddy couldn't resist moving his hand to caress her soft face and felt powerful emotions overcome him. She had no idea how much he'd grown to love her…

"Now that you're here, the others insisted on helping with the date," Freddy informed her. "Let me start by showing you the greatest treasures of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." Next Freddy presented Katrina with a red & white gift box, the same as the ones the Puppet handed out. "A girl like you deserves diamonds, jewelry and pretty gemstones."

Katrina accepted the gift and eagerly opened it up. Inside she found surprising treasure all right. "Wow, this is odd-looking treasure," Katrina noted with interest. "This looks like a venus-comb shell? These are chocolate gold coins. And this is a ring-pop?"

Freddy looked funnily over at Foxy. "Really? That's your idea of treasure?" he said raising an eyebrow. But Foxy just shrugged with a sheepish grin. Turning back to Katrina, Freddy did ask her. "By the way, where'd you get that heart locket?"

"Oh this?" Katrina reached up to finger the heart locket on her chain. "Actually my grandmother gave this to me before she died. She used to tell me I had a heart of gold." Katrina smiled up at Freddy's intrigued expression. "I hardly ever take it off except for showers."

That was when Bonnie approached their table and held up his red guitar for Katrina to see. "Freddy wanted me to play romantic music to set the mood. Check this out!" With a wink at Katrina, Bonnie positioned his hands on his red guitar and began to play.

Only the problem was Bonnie the Bunny wasn't exactly programmed to play love songs on his guitar and was too used to playing party music and kid songs. Bonnie became rather embarrassed and tried playing something more romantic. Instead he ended up playing Chicken Dance music. Katrina covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, Freddy slapped a hand over his forehead, and Foxy wouldn't stop snickering whole-heartedly. Finally Bonnie had the good grace to stop playing and lowered his guitar.

"Uh well then… that was… Guess I can't play love songs. Sorry about that." Bonnie took a step back while looking incredibly awkward. Until he was cheered up by Chica who patted him on the shoulder.

"You were great, Bonnie. The Chicken Dance is my favorite song!" she said sweetly to him. Bonnie swooned upon the animatronic chick's praising of him. Chica giggled as Bonnie continued to confidently play the Chicken Dance for her enjoyment.

Katrina watched Bonnie and Chica be together and thought they looked like a cute couple. Then Chica headed over to the table with her amethyst-eyes glowing radiantly and held a big dish in her hands with a lid on top. "I've saved the best for last, Katrina. I've brought you something special."

Chica placed the dish in front of her and Katrina removed the lid to reveal its contents. "A heart-shaped strawberries & cream cupcake? But how did you know?" Katrina looked up and saw Freddy smiling at her and then she knew. "Of course. It's my favorite perfume. You've got a good memory." She was very impressed.

Now that his friends have bestowed their gifts, it was time for him and Katrina to have some alone time. "Thanks for your help, guys. But it's time for all of you to scram. Go on! Shoo!" Freddy waved them all away where the three animatronics turned to leave and head to other different locations in the pizzeria.

Once they had the Dining Area to themselves, Freddy turned to Katrina who was admiring all the gifts that had been given to her. "I have a gift of my own I'd like to give," he said warmly. Freddy got down on one knee and presented to Katrina with a lovely flower he kept hidden in his top-hat.

Katrina's eyes widened in awe as she accepted the flower and recognized it as a white lily. She was really surprised to see this because white lilies were planted around the gardens outside of the restaurant. "How did you…get this?" Katrina said in amazement. "You didn't…go outside, did you?"

Freddy chuckled at the look on Katrina's face. "No, I didn't go outside. Somehow I was able to reach out through a window and pluck one out. It wasn't easy…," he explained. But it had been worth it. He's always wanted to give flowers to a girl…

Clutching the flower delicately to her chest and felt the pounding of her heart, Katrina looked up into the blue eyes of Freddy Fazbear. No one has ever done something like this for her before. She didn't know what to say. But Freddy seemed to understand her anyway. Katrina reached up to touch Freddy's cheek, and he affectionately nuzzled her in return. After sincerely thanking Freddy, Katrina picked up her fork and happily began digging into her tasty dessert. While chewing the strawberry on top, Katrina happened to look up and notice Freddy watching her eat.

"Oh I'm sorry. Did you want a bite?" Katrina kindly offered a strawberry up to the animatronic bear.

Freddy eyed the strawberry and politely shook his head. "No thanks. Actually…we don't eat anymore." Seeing her confusion, Freddy elaborated. "I mean whether you're a ghost or an animatronic, at least you don't go hungry. But I'll admit I do miss tasting food." But then Freddy leaned down and did whisper. "It doesn't stop Chica, though. She still sneaks into the kitchen and eats pizza. She doesn't care how many times her innards have to be cleaned."

Katrina chortled at this, but deep down she found it a little sad. The ghost children couldn't enjoy the things they once had in life. It made her wonder what would have become of their souls if the Puppet hadn't transport them into the animatronics. Would their souls have wandered in limbo for eternity? And then it got Katrina thinking about her own parents… Just when she finished eating her snack, Katrina seriously considered on telling Freddy the truth. But Freddy was already taking her hand into his and Katrina quickly forgot about it.

Freddy had another request to ask of her. "Katrina… I was wondering…" He stared into Katrina's soft brown-doe eyes. "Dance with me, Katrina. I mean, will you dance with me?"

"Dance with you?" Katrina said, and she couldn't resist smiling humorously up at him. "So you're a singing and dancing bear?" However she studied Freddy's bulky animatronic suit. "Uh no offense… But won't it be hard for you to dance? You being so big and all?"

"Nonsense. I can dance!" Freddy insisted. When he saw Katrina still eying him doubtfully, Freddy wanted to prove it. "Come with me, Katrina. I'll show you." There Freddy led Katrina over to the Show Stage which provided plenty of room for dancing. Now he turned to face Katrina and tried not to show his trepidation. "Okay Katrina, give me your hand."

Katrina hesitated and finally had a confession to make. "I…I can't do this." Freddy became dismayed until she admitted. "I don't know how to dance." She looked embarrassedly up at him and hoped he wouldn't laugh at her.

Instead Freddy smilingly took her hand anyway and pulled her a little closer to him. "Don't worry, I'll teach you. My mother taught me how to dance with a girl once," he confided in her. "Just put your other hand on my arm there and I'll lead you."

As Freddy showed her, Katrina felt a little funny doing this. But she wanted to learn how to dance and above all she wanted to be with Freddy. It started out awkward at first, but Freddy was determined to have his dance. The animatronic bear tried coming up with a solution. With his eyes on his large feet, Freddy instructed Katrina to follow his every move. Freddy took one step back, Katrina took a step forward, Freddy took a step forward and Katrina took a step back. Before she knew it, she was actually dancing with the mascot of the restaurant. It wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. And it was the most magical moment of her life.

Katrina was able to learn the steps easily and she looked up to see Freddy also growing accustomed to their dance routine. "I don't believe it. I'm dancing with Freddy Fazbear!" she said with delight, but then added. "It would be nice to have music to dance to."

"Consider it done," Freddy grinned. With that, the melodious tunes of Toreador's March began to play. "Sorry if I'm too slow. I'm usually a way better dancer than this."

It wasn't exactly romantic music, but Freddy and Katrina didn't care. His robotic movements appeared clumsy at first glance and he couldn't quite keep up with the more graceful girl before him, but Freddy was having way too much fun to notice. He had his eyes on Katrina whom he twirled around and he smiled upon seeing her laughing face. The more he danced with her; Freddy gazed into Katrina's face with her sparkling brown eyes and dazzling smile, and his heart burst with happiness. Then it made him realize something… Freddy stopped dancing and stared down at her while feeling strong emotions tug at his heart-strings. Katrina looked up and saw Freddy's intense expression.

"Freddy? What is it? Why did we stop dancing?" Katrina asked him. She still held Freddy's hand and held it up to her face where she felt instant warmth. "Hey maybe you can sing me a love song?" she playfully suggested to him.

Freddy was at war with his emotions and kept telling himself to get it together. In the end, he settled on telling her the truth. "Katrina…there's something I've always wanted to tell you," he said seriously. He knelt down and brought his face close to hers and took both her hands into his. "Katrina I…I…," Freddy lost his nerve. Katrina waited for him to go on. Freddy gathered his courage and tried again. "What I'm trying to say is…I…lov…"

But Freddy couldn't do it. It would ruin everything. He had no right. With a sigh, he released her hands and looked away from her. Freddy was too scared to say it. Katrina watched him curiously and wondered what he was going to say to her. The animatronic bear was behaving strangely and the way he was staring at her just now with such longing… Once Freddy got his emotions under control, he turned to face her and managed to keep his voice normal.

"Thank you for the dance, Katrina. Come watch the stars with me," Freddy said quietly. He took Katrina's hand and helped her down the Show Stage. While he led her through the Dining Area, he was aware that his heart was pounding so hard that he'd feared Katrina might hear it.

At the window in the Arcade, Freddy and Katrina sat together watching the outside world. Neighborhood houses could be seen in the distance, cars rolled by on the dark streets with only their headlights visible, and rarely pedestrians were seen out for a night-time stroll. Freddy stared up at the starry night-sky and allowed his mind to wander. To this day, he still thought about his old life. He remembered who he used to be before he became Freddy Fazbear. Sometimes on the rainy days, Freddy would gaze out this same window and have the blues.

Sensing his gloomy mood, Katrina reached out and touched Freddy's paw. She sat curled up in his lap and was looking up at him compassionately. "What's wrong, Freddy? What are you thinking?"

Freddy looked down at her thoughtfully for a moment. "I wish I could be alive again," he said softly. "I wish I haven't been murdered. I'd been such a fool back then. I failed to save my friends and I've been feeling guilty ever since. I've swore to myself that I would never let another kid suffer my fate…," Freddy saw Katrina hanging onto his every word. "I'm sorry. It's just…there are a lot things I wished I'd done differently. But I guess it's all pointless now."

Katrina felt sorry for him. She tried coming up with something cheerful to say. "Tell me Freddy, what did you look like when you were a boy?"

"Well let's see… I was pretty tall for my age. I was the same age as you, twelve years old. I had light-brown hair and bright blue eyes," he described. Katrina narrowed her eyes skeptically at him, and Freddy chuckled. "I'm describing myself as a boy, not a bear," he assured her. "I was also very handsome. All the girls had crushes on me."

"Okay, now I know you're exaggerating!" Katrina playfully nudged him. Then she remembered. "I saw your eyes," she recalled. "It was on the day I first came here. You were standing there talking to me, and when I looked up…I saw ghostly eyes watching me from your stomach region." Katrina examined Freddy's stomach closely but didn't see any ghostly activity there.

Freddy put an arm around her and snuggled her close. "Yeah I remember. I didn't mean to scare you." Freddy also remembered trying to talk to her because she looked so alone and depressed. She had looked like someone who needed help… From the moment she met him, she kept coming back to the restaurant. And it made him wonder…

"Katrina, why do you stay here with us?" Freddy asked her.

Katrina rested her head comfortably on Freddy's chest while gazing lazily out the window. "I come here because I'm happy. It feels like…home to me." Katrina lets out a yawn. "You make me happy, Freddy." As she laid nestled beside the animatronic bear, Katrina also said sleepily. "I wish I could have met you when you were alive. I don't even know your real name…"

It was very late out and Katrina looked like she was ready for bed. Freddy watched the beautiful girl and was feeling all kinds of emotions at once. He'd done his job well and made her happy like he did for millions of kids before her. But he wasn't ready to say good-bye yet. Freddy gathered Katrina into his arms and started to carry her to the Employee Lounge. On the way there, Freddy began to realize a few things. After all these years, he left behind his old identity. He thought forgetting about his past would make things easier for him. Now that he's met Katrina Marlowe however, it made him want to remember. Freddy reached the door but Katrina moved in his arms and she lifted her head to look up at him.

"It's okay, Freddy. You can put me down right here," she said while rubbing her eye. Freddy bent down and lowered her onto her feet. She smiled up at him with half-lidded eyes. "I can tuck myself into bed. Thank you for everything, Freddy. I had fun on our little date."

"You're welcome," Freddy smiled back. "I just wish I could leave this place. I'd like to stroll with you at the park, or bring you to a fancier restaurant, or take you to the amusement park." Freddy sadly hung his head and his bear ears drooped. "But I can't do any of those things. I'm just…not human anymore."

Katrina approached the brown bear and embraced him. Each time she hugged him, she hoped she was closer to hugging the ghost boy inside him. "You are human, Freddy," she told him firmly. "No matter what anyone says, you'll always be human to me. As long as you have a heart, you're allowed to be human. Never forget that, okay?"

Freddy swore never to forget it. Katrina held the white lily he gave to her as a present and brought it up to her nose to breathe in its lovely fragrance. Before heading inside the Employee Lounge, she went back to Freddy and reached out a hand to caress his freckled snout. Whoever he used to be in life, Katrina cared deeply for him. No matter what, she would always have a place in her heart for Freddy Fazbear. But still… he's done so much for her on their date that she wanted to do something special for him in return.

"Oh Freddy… I didn't give you my gift." With that, Katrina stood on tiptoe and kissed Freddy on his muzzle.

This left Freddy feeling utterly love-struck as Katrina sweetly said good-night to him and disappeared into the Employee Lounge. Freddy turned and started wandering off although he had no idea where he was going. His mind was filled with nothing but the thoughts of Katrina and he felt very light-headed like he was walking on clouds. The whole restaurant was looking like one big beautiful world. Freddy rubbed the spot where he felt Katrina's lips touch him and sighed dreamily. He's never felt this way about anyone before… If he had lived, things would have been different. It was times like this that made Freddy despise his killer more than ever.

As Freddy walked the dark hallways, it sadden him to know that Katrina would never know the real him. Katrina deserved to know who he really was. There had to be a way to show her. He would give anything to be with her. After tonight, he was so crazy about Katrina that he'd do anything for her. Freddy thought long and hard about it, and that was when he came up with the obvious solution… There was only one person who could help him. The same person who once brought him back from the oblivion of death itself… Freddy turned around and began making his way to the other side of the pizzeria.

The Prize Corner was empty and dark with the only sound being the haunting tune of My Grandfather's Clock paying. The Puppet preferred sleeping through the night and remained cooped up inside the safety of its music box. It laid immobile while listening to its familiar music. Without warning, the lid of the box was being opened and the music switched to "Pop goes the Weasel." The Puppet lifted its head and at first thought it was a kid coming to wake it up. The Puppet put on a happy laughing smile and prepared to present a gift of friendship to its visitor.

"Sorry for waking you, Puppet. But I really need your help with something." It was only Freddy Fazbear. "I know this is going to sound crazy but I really want…"

" _Freddy? Is that you_?" The puppet interrupted and sleepily rubbed its eyes while yawning. " _What time is it? The restaurant hasn't opened yet_?"

"No it hasn't," Freddy said impatiently. "Listen Puppet, I want you to do something for me." Freddy looked imploringly to the marionette. "Can you take my soul out of Freddy Fazbear?" The Puppet's reaction was just as he expected.

" _What did you say_?" The Puppet eyed the animatronic bear in shock. " _You want me to remove your soul? Do you have any idea what you're actually asking me to do? I gave you the gift of life and you want me to take it back_?"

"Whoa, whoa Puppet. Let me explain," Freddy held up his hands in defense as the Puppet crossed its arms and frowned disapprovingly at him. "I'm only asking you to take me out of this body so I can see Katrina. I want her to really see me, Puppet. I want her to know who I really am. You're the only one who can help me with that. Will you do this for me?"

But the Puppet was shaking its head sternly. " _You know I can't do that, Freddy. Do you think it was easy? It took every ounce of spiritual energy to place you and friends inside those animatronics. I did it as a last desperate attempt to save what was left of your souls. No, I won't do it. Too risky_."

The Puppet started to go back into its box but Freddy quickly grabbed the Puppet by the arm and refused to let it go. "Wait Puppet, just wait! I get what you're saying, but this is important to me. Just take me out of this robot and let me see Katrina. Just this once…," Freddy begged. The Puppet still looked unconvinced. "Please Puppet… It won't be for long, I promise. I want Katrina to know the real me. Maybe if she saw who I really am she'll…" Freddy's voice trailed off.

" _She'll what, Freddy_?" The Puppet questioned. Freddy said nothing. Puppet knew exactly what he meant. " _You're looking at this all wrong. Katrina adores you just the way you are. You don't have to do this_." The Puppet wisely told him. " _You have nothing to fear. If it makes you feel any better, you're not an ugly-looking bear. There's nothing wrong with how you look._ "

"You don't understand," Freddy said quietly. He released the Puppet's arm and took a step back. "Every day I look in the mirror and wonder what Katrina sees in me. She's so beautiful and I'm…well…," Freddy gestures at himself for emphasis. "Look at me, Puppet. When she looks at me, she sees Freddy Fazbear. All I want is for her to see me on the inside. If this is the only way I can do it, then so be it."

The Puppet wanted to argue some more but gave up. It could see that there was no talking Freddy out of this. He was determined to reveal his true identity to Katrina. Finally Puppet reluctantly agreed. " _Fine. It won't be easy. I still don't like it._ " Despite Freddy looking happy, the Puppet wasn't about to let him have free rein. " _If I do this for you, you have to do exactly what I tell you. You must stay with me at all times. I've never done this before so I don't know what might happen. Are you listening to me?_ "

"Yeah, yeah Puppet! Let's hurry!" Freddy said eagerly. "I want to go to Katrina now! Can you bring me to her? How are we going to do this?"

" _Don't rush me!_ " The Puppet scolded him. It had to carefully concentrate before performing this tricky task. The Puppet still wasn't sure about this but if this was going to bring Freddy and Katrina closer together, it was all for it.

With its pinprick eyes glowing cat-like in its sockets, the Puppet focused all its energy as Freddy stood before it. Suddenly the Puppet's clawed hand shot out and struck Freddy hard in the chest. Freddy felt no pain, only the life being stripped out of his animatronic suit. And just like that, the animatronic bear crumbled lifelessly onto the ground with the Puppet calmly standing over it. Freddy Fazbear was gone. The Puppet stood holding the hand of the ghost boy who once possessed the mascot of the pizzeria.

" _I hope you know what you're doing._ _Okay… I'll take you to see Katrina…,"_ the Puppet announced.

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 **Freddy Fazbear's real identity will be revealed in the next chapter. But I'll bet my readers already guessed by now which ghost kid is possessing the star mascot. This was a sweet and romantic chapter that I'm proud of. Hope the readers were deeply moved by it. Perhaps it can be a little too sentimental at times but I try not to go overboard with the puppy love if I'm able. Thanks for reading!**


	21. Ghost of my dreams

**I was able to get this chapter up quicker than I thought. Without further ado, FNAF readers can finally learn which ghost kid is possessing Freddy Fazbear. I've always thought of the Puppet as some kind of Keeper of Souls. Just my opinion, though. Please enjoy!**

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It was the same dream all over again. How long was she going to keep on remembering? The dream never changes. Katrina was still standing in the middle of a road, surrounded with nothing but pitch blackness in the background. And there before her was the roaring fire that always taunted her. Staring regretfully into the flames, it left Katrina feeling empty. The old temptation to enter the fire was still there… Perhaps going into the fire was her only chance for redemption…And the only way to reunite with her parents. But no matter how long she stared into the blazing inferno, Katrina couldn't muster up the courage to go through with it. Maybe this wasn't what she really wanted. Or maybe she would never find forgiveness. She failed to help her parents…and now she had to live with that failure.

Suddenly her dark and bleak world started to change all around her… It all happened without warning. Katrina found herself being thrust into a new world. A world not of her own making. Everywhere around her was white and bright, it was misty as far as the eye can see, making it difficult for Katrina to see far away. In confusion, Katrina looked around her strange environment and wondered where she was. Whatever this place was, it felt surprisingly warm and the shining white light felt comforting on her face. Another thing Katrina noticed was that she was wearing her royal-purple dress and mary-janes shoes. It was so peaceful here…was it possible that she was in heaven?

" _Katrina…_ " A familiar soft voice called to her from somewhere behind her. When Katrina turned around toward the sound of the voice, she saw something moving toward her. She couldn't make it out at first until it started to take shape. She recognized it as the silhouette of a figure with bear-ears and wearing a top-hat. There was only one person in the world that had wiggling bear ears like that.

"Freddy?" Katrina called to him. She was feeling better knowing she wasn't alone here. Katrina hurried to meet him.

But she wasn't greeted by an animatronic bear. Stepping out from the misty shadows was a boy she's never seen before. She stopped and stared as this strange boy grinned at the sight of her. He was a handsome boy with light-brown hair and sky-blue eyes; dressed smartly in a brown tux and pants, and he too wore a fancy black top-hat and bow-tie. Katrina watched as this mysterious boy approached her. She didn't know him, but he definitely knew her.

" _Finally we meet_ ," the boy said happily. When he saw Katrina staring at him, he let out a laugh. " _What's wrong, Katrina? Haven't you figured out who I am yet_?" To show her, he removed his top-hat and bowed gentlemanly before her.

Katrina realized who he was. She couldn't believe it. Could he be? "You're Freddy?" Katrina whispered.

The boy took her hand and introduced himself. " _My real name is Bernard Walcott_." He brought Katrina's hand up to his cheek and reveled in feeling the warmth of her skin and smelling her sweet intoxicating perfume.

"Bernard…," Katrina repeated. "That's a pretty strong name. Are you…real?" she asked him. "Are you really here with me? Or is this just a dream?"

" _If this is a dream, do me a favor and don't wake up yet, okay_?" Bernard smiled lovingly into her eyes. " _The truth is I got the Puppet to bring out my soul so that I could see you_. _My ghost is visiting you in your dreams. And I did it all for you, Katrina. I wanted to see you…_ "

But most of all, in this beautiful world that he created for him and Katrina; there was no animatronic suit between them. Here he was a perfectly normal boy and she a perfectly normal girl. At last he could be himself and not have to take on the role of a star attraction. And now that he was finally here with her as a boy, he could finally do all things he couldn't do as an animatronic. Without further ado, Bernard reached up into his top-hat and surprised her with the white lily that he'd given to her. Katrina gazed in wonder at the lovely flower in her hand, but nothing amazed her more than the boy before her.

" _Is it everything you've ever dreamed?_ " Bernard asked her, his eyes twinkling at her awestruck expression. " _I can give you all the things you deserve._ " Bernard got down on one knee and reached into his tux pocket to pull out a fancy box with a gemstone bracelet in it. " _Would you like jewelry?_ " Katrina covered her mouth and could hardly contain her delight. Grinning at her joy, Bernard wasn't done yet. " _Perhaps you'd prefer chocolates?_ With that, Bernard held up his other hand and presented her with a heart-shaped box of chocolates.

"Take it easy or you'll make me swoon!" Katrina teased with her hands placed on her heart. Then smiling fondly at him, Katrina didn't want jewels or candy. "All I want is you," she told him. Casting all the gifts aside, Bernard leaped to his feet and swept the laughing Katrina into his arms and happily swung her around.

" _Now I can really show you my dance moves…_ " Bernard said with a wry smile at her.

With that, Bernard took Katrina's hand and placed it on his shoulder while his other hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her close to him. There he guided Katrina into a slow-dance and he showed her the steps he taught her before. Together they danced among the swirling white mist with them being the only inhabitants of this warm shiny world. As Katrina moved with him, she had a lot of questions she wanted to ask him but didn't know where to start. She was in the arms of the ghost boy who'd been possessing Freddy Fazbear. He wasn't exactly a stranger to her, but she didn't know what to say to him. Bernard looked down and saw Katrina avoiding his eyes and blushing.

" _You're awfully quiet. Is everything okay, Katrina?"_ Bernard said, studying her with his gentle blue eyes. " _Aren't you glad to see me?"_ He brushed aside her bangs so that he could look into her pretty face.

"Of course I am," Katrina said breathlessly. She couldn't stop gazing into Bernard's cute freckled face while feeling the wild pounding of her heart. He had the nicest smile, she noticed. It sent shivers through her, leaving her overwhelmed with tender emotions. Katrina's never felt this way about anyone before…

"This place…," Katrina's eyes traveled around the misty white world but couldn't see anything out there. "Did you create this world? Is this…your idea of heaven?"

" _I created a beautiful haven for us. A place where you can feel safe,"_ Bernard explained to her. His voice was strong and comforting. The same voice she heard outside the girls' bathroom. " _You have no idea how much I wanted this. I've wanted to hold you in my arms just like this, Katrina. That's my idea of heaven_."

"That's so sweet," Katrina remarked. As Bernard stepped back to twirl her; it tickled Katrina's heart as she gracefully whirled around before being pulled back into Bernard's arms. After thinking for a moment, Katrina began to wonder something. "Fred…erm…I mean Bernard…Do you think you'll go to heaven?"

Bernard didn't answer right away. " _I'm not sure…,"_ he admitted. " _I like to think that when all of this is over, we'll go somewhere where we can have peace again. I became a ghost because I refused to leave my friends behind…_ " Bernard closed his eyes and tried not to remember his own murder. He didn't come here to open up old wounds.

"Does it hurt?" Katrina asked him so suddenly that he didn't understand the question at first. "Not to sound insensitive, but what's it like to die? Did you feel a lot of pain?" When she looked up and noticed Bernard's unsmiling face, she quickly regretted it. "Never-mind, you don't have to answer that."

" _No, it's okay. I'll tell you_ ," Bernard said solemnly. He took a deep breath and tried to find the best words to describe it to someone like her. " _It's like falling into a deep sleep. You don't feel pain anymore. Then you see a light coming to greet you…_ " But Bernard frowned darkly. " _However, not all ghosts choose to go to the light. Sometimes they're too scared, or it's because they don't know that they're dead…or maybe they're not ready._ "

Katrina nodded while spinning around with her dance partner. "What about you, Bernard? Were you not ready?" she asked him.

" _No I wasn't_ ," Bernard said with no hesitation. He stopped dancing and gazed down into Katrina's eyes with a serious expression. " _I didn't want to die, Katrina. I couldn't move on…_ " She stared back at him with her eyes watering. Seeing that she was about to cry, Bernard hastily reached out to wipe her teary eyes. " _Hey now, don't be upset Katrina. I didn't come here to talk about sad stuff._ "

"You're right," Katrina agreed. She dried her eyes and got a hold of her emotions. "I'm sorry. It's just…I wish I could help you." There she reached up to playfully straighten Bernard's bow-tie for him.

" _But you have helped me…_ ," Bernard assured her. " _Thanks to you, I'm back to being the lovable jolly old teddy bear that all kids love. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be feeling sorry for myself. I'll never forget what you did for me, Katrina. You made me want to change my ways…"_

Katrina wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. She felt Bernard place his hands on her waist and return the embrace. He felt so real, like he really was here with her. Katrina never wanted to wake up from her dream. She wished she could stay in this beautiful world forever with this charming boy. They drew apart and Bernard gently cupped her cheek. He knew what she'd been thinking when he felt her arms tighten around him like that. He could look into Katrina's heart and see her desires and wishes. With a soft sigh, Bernard knew he couldn't stay for long. But until then, he would treasure being with Katrina.

When they drew apart, Bernard saw that Katrina was suddenly wearing his top-hat with a silly grin. Making a playful swipe at her, Bernard began chasing her around while Katrina laughingly kept dodging him. Running and darting around the shining world while kicking up puffs of white mist, here they were just like any other children, playing a game of tag. The dream-world seemed endless, no matter how far Katrina ran. She was able to outrun Bernard because when she turned around to look back, he was nowhere in sight. It wasn't until she turned her head that Bernard suddenly materialized in front of her. He easily reached out and captured her into his arms with a victorious smile at her.

" _Gotcha_!" Bernard smiled mischievously.

"Hey, how did you do that?" Katrina said, looking at him in surprise. "No fair! You can't do that. This is supposed to be my dream."

" _Doesn't mean I can't mess with it_ ," Bernard teased. " _Now give it back, Katrina_."

There Katrina removed the top-hat from her head and placed it back on top of Bernard's head. The top-hat and bow-tie symbolized his connection with Freddy Fazbear. Katrina gazed into his face and got lost in his eyes, the same blue eyes she'd first seen from within the animatronic bear. This whole time, it was this handsome boy she'd been talking to, laughing with, playing with. He was the one who comforted her, protected her, and confided in her. And the longer she thought about it; that was when Katrina realized it for the first time ever. _I've fallen for him_ … _I've had feelings for him all along_ , thought Katrina.

Then somewhere in the distance, an echoing voice called out to them. " _Bernard…it's time to come back. Your time is up. It's time to say good-bye to her._ "

"What? No, you can't leave now," Katrina protested. She hugged Bernard tightly and feared that he really would disappear into thin air. "I don't want you to go…Please stay here with me."

But with a sad smile, Bernard gently pushed her back and used his sleeve to wipe away her tears. Looking into Katrina's crestfallen face, Bernard wished he didn't have to leave her. He wanted to spend more time with her. And yet it was time for him to leave… He couldn't stay in her dreams for long. But seeing how upset Katrina was, Bernard didn't want to leave until he knew she was going to be alright. He took her by the hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Bernard wanted to cheer her up first before he had to return to his robotic vessel.

" _Don't be sad, Katrina. You'll see me again. Only as Freddy Fazbear…,"_ Bernard said soothingly. Katrina nodded but gloomily averted her eyes from him. " _Look on the bright side… At least now you know the boy behind the bear. You know who I really am._ " But Katrina continued to avoid his eyes. " _Katrina…look at me."_ When Katrina looked up at him, Bernard reached out and caressed her cheek tenderly. " _I'll still be here for you. I will never leave you, no matter what. Don't forget that, okay?_ "

Katrina sniffled but managed to put on a strong smile for him. "Okay. I believe you, Bernard."

Standing this close to her, Bernard found himself looking at Katrina's soft pink lips and was tempted to lean in and kiss them. Would Katrina let him? It would be his first kiss and his last kiss. Bernard stared at Katrina's lips and tried to make up his mind on what to do. It didn't feel right to steal a kiss. Could he possibly ask for one instead? He knew it was probably asking for a lot, but he always wondered what it was like to kiss a girl. And this would be his one and only chance… Finally Bernard opened his mouth and started to ask her.

Unfortunately the mysterious echoing voice rang out again, interrupting him. " _Bernard! It's time to go. You need to return now. You can't stay for long._ "

" _Alright already! I'm coming!_ " Bernard shouted back impatiently. Bernard leaned in close; Katrina's eyes widen with him this close. Then she felt him place the white lily in her hair and moved back to admire her. " _You look beautiful, Katrina. Keep dreaming about me…_ " Bernard winked at her.

With regret, Bernard Walcott turned and left without his kiss… Katrina watched him go and told herself that she would see him again. Bernard walked further and further away from her until he seemed to disappear into the white mist itself. And just like that…he was gone. Leaving Katrina alone in this white dream world. She wondered if she would ever see the ghost boy again. Before Katrina could figure out what to do next, she was suddenly waking up.

The next thing she knew, Katrina was opening her eyes and waking up in the Employee Lounge. And standing over her was Freddy Fazbear who was gently shaking her awake. Brushing back her long tangled hair over her shoulder, Katrina gazed up at the grinning animatronic bear before her and remembered the dream she just had. Now she was beginning to wonder if it was more than a dream. It all seemed so real. Had she really met the ghost boy living inside Freddy Fazbear? And yet Freddy was behaving like his usual jolly old self around her.

"Did you sleep well? You best be on your way. They'll be opening up the restaurant soon," Freddy informed her. "Be sure to gather all your stuff. And don't worry, if you lose anything, the staff will just put it at the lost-n-find." Then Freddy turned and headed for the door.

"Hey wait!" Katrina called after him. Freddy turned around and looked back at her curiously. "About last night…," She paused. "I had this dream…There was a boy… I wonder if…"

Freddy went over to her and he looked interested. "You dreamed about a boy?" he asked her. "Really? Was he a nice boy? What did he look like?"

Katrina studied the chipper expression on Freddy's face and didn't know what to think. Was it possible he knew? "It was only a strange dream. It's nothing too interesting," Katrina said dismissively. However she couldn't help but wonder if the dream really did happen. Had Freddy been the boy in her dream? Freddy's behavior was odd but he didn't ask her any more questions.

Once Katrina gathered all her stuff, she walked through the pizzeria while still dressed in her lovely purple dress and mary-janes shoes. When she entered the girls' bathroom, she found Freddy waiting for her. Again Katrina thought about her dream and then stared over at the brown bear standing by the open window. When she went to him, Freddy gentlemanly helped her reach the window like he always did. But before she could leave, she felt his big paw take her by the hand. Katrina looked up and saw Freddy place a white lily in her honey-hair and admired her.

"Oh and Katrina? You look beautiful…," Freddy winked at her. Just like the boy from her dream. And then she knew. He was Bernard Walcott…


	22. Final farewells & stirring shadows

**Welcome back to my story and my latest new chapter. Just saw the newest update from Scott Cawthon. Looks like he's been busy in his own little office these days too. LOL. An interesting line: "Don't hold it against us." Wonder what other tragedies we're not aware of in the FNAF timeline. Guess only time will tell. So far, the new animatronics are looking promising. Enough about that, time to read and see what horrors are happening at my own Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.**

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The bright yellow sun shone high in the azure-blue sky. It was sunny and the weather-channel reported that it was going to be a hot one today. On this day, both Katrina Marlowe and Jackie Garvey were walking together through the neighborhood. The two girls decided to head to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Jackie especially wanted to see Foxy one last time, because circumstances have changed for her. Just the other day, Jackie had received a visit from a man claiming to be her real father. Jackie was skeptical about this strange man at first, and it wasn't until her lawyer confirmed that he had taken a paternity test and it was indeed proven that he was her rightful father. Along the way, Jackie was telling Katrina all about it.

"I was confused at first… My mother always told me that another man was my father. But it turns out my real father is a man name Brendan Newman," Jackie was telling Katrina. "He was one of my mom's serious boyfriends. But when he left, he never knew my mother had gotten pregnant with me or of my birth. For some weird reason, I actually believe him. Mother never cared if I had a father-figure in my life…"

Katrina listened interestedly. "I see… So what's going to happen now? I mean, now that you've finally found your real father and all?" she asked.

Jackie took a moment to think about it. Honestly, the whole thing had been rather unexpected. "Well according to my lawyer, he wants to legally adopt me," she admitted. "I don't know how to feel about that. I mean, he's still a stranger to me. And I'm still trying to figure out why it took him this long to learn about my existence."

"You're lucky…," Katrina told her. "This will be your second chance to have a family-life. Not everyone gets second-chances." Jackie studied her curiously, but Katrina didn't say any more. It was very hard not to be jealous of Jackie who was probably going to have a home again. Katrina didn't know what was going to become of her own life…

Upon arriving at the family-restaurant, Katrina and Jackie entered the pizzeria to meet the lovable animal animatronics inside. It was around busy-hours because there were a lot of families with their kids in here today. Looks like Freddy, Bonnie and Chica had their work cut out for them because there were a lot of children to entertain today. The three animatronics were all for it and would playfully interact with any child who approached them. Freddy's amiable blue eyes zeroed in on Katrina who looked ravishing in a yellow tee with matching orange shorts, her long honey-hair pulled back into a high ponytail. She smiled dotingly back at the brown bear and hadn't forgotten about their romantic date from last night.

"Well now, Mrs. Fazbear…," Jackie said teasingly to Katrina. "While you're visiting your precious teddy, I've got a sea fox to meet." With that, Jackie started to make her way through the big crowd and towards Pirate Cove.

The Pirate Cove was empty as usual, although Jackie couldn't help noticing all the toys and plushies lying around by a certain crafty pirate fox. Now she walked over to the closed purple curtains where she knew Foxy stood hidden out of view. After checking to make sure she wasn't being watched, Jackie drew the curtains aside and saw Foxy standing still as a statue on his stage. Come to think of it, she didn't know if he was active or turned on like the other animatronics. Jackie waved a hand in front of Foxy's grinning face and tried interacting with him.

"Hello, Foxy? It's me, Jackie. You remember me, right? Uh…can you hear me?" Jackie gave Foxy a little shake, but the red fox stared unseeingly ahead. Just when she thought Foxy wasn't going to answer, she let out a shriek when he suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked her through the purple curtains and out of view.

"Tis me buccaneer beauty!" Foxy heartily greeted her with his amber-eyes glowing animatedly. "Ahoy Jackie! Yer a sight fer salty sore eyes! How ye been, lass? Have ye come ter play pirates tis time?"

Jackie found herself being embraced by a very lively Foxy whose bushy red fail kept wagging. Then Foxy took a step back to get a good at her. Jackie had really changed the last time he saw her. No longer hiding her scar, Jackie was dressed in a bright blue shirt with matching navy-blue shorts and white sneakers. Her long chocolate-brown hair was pulled back by a white hair-band; she looked just like any other lovely girl. And it was thanks to Foxy for bringing Jackie Garvey out of her shell.

"Hi Foxy," Jackie said, smiling up at the excitable fox. "I was hoping to talk to you. I've got lots to tell you. You won't believe what's happened to me." Minutes later, Jackie was sitting comfortably on Foxy's lap and began confiding in the animatronic fox about the latest news about her life. Foxy was fascinated by her story.

"I'm really happy fer ye, Jackie. Looks like yer tale has a happy ending," Foxy said proudly. He used his hook to gently trace the scar on Jackie's right cheek and he could see that it was starting to heal. "I knew ye had the tough makins' of a pirate! So ye've come ere' ter brag about it?"

But Jackie smiled weakly. "No actually…I came here to say good-bye," she said sadly. Foxy looked disappointed and Jackie explained to him. "My real father wants to take me in. I'm also going to get my last name changed. From now on, I'll be known as Jackie Newman." She looked up and saw that Foxy was smiling understandingly. "I'll also be getting a new home. But it's far away so I won't be able to come visit you here in the restaurant anymore."

"No worries, lass. There are lots of lil' pirates out there," Foxy reassured her warmly. "Ye be good, Jackie. Don' forgets the lessons I taught ye. May ye have smooth-sailing in yer life. I salute ye as one matey ter another!" Foxy raised his hook to his head and saluted her respectfully and Jackie returned it.

And then Jackie reached into her pocket and pulled out the red bandanna and started to hand it back to Foxy. "I probably should return this," she told him.

But Foxy shook his head and handed the bandanna back to her. "Keep it, lass. Tis my gift to ye. This way ye'll never forget about the crazy pirate fox ye met ere' at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza!" Jackie joyfully leaped into Foxy's arms and hugged him. She would never forget how Foxy the Pirate Fox helped her get back her self-confidence.

Back at the Dining Area, Katrina was sitting at the table and enjoying a cold drink. Around these times, Katrina loved watching Freddy play with the little children. He was great with kids of all ages. But every time she looked at the animatronic bear, she saw the warm-hearted boy from her dreams. At the moment, Katrina was being entertained by Chica who loved keeping her company and bringing her all the pizzas and snacks she wanted. Never seen without her faithful companion Pom-Pom the Cupcake, Chica loved going from table to table greeting children and could sweet-talk even the most stubborn child into behaving.

"That's Tasha over there, she's a real doll-lover," Chica pointed over to a young african-american girl with blue barrettes in her hair, "This one time she fell in love with the Puppet and took it out of its music box and went around carrying it like a baby-doll. It was really funny! Of course they had to make her put the Puppet back but she and the Puppet are still good friends."

Then Chica pointed out another kid to Katrina. "And over there is Denny; he's the only kid who loves pizza with anchovies! He had a birthday only last month so now he's nine years old." It amazed Katrina on how well Chica knew all the kids here. "That boy over there is Sam; he's a popular video gamer. He still holds the high score for Pac-man. Tee-hee… But Foxy and Bonnie are frustrated, they've been trying to top his high score ever since!" Chica robotically giggled.

"I guess that explains why they're always making such a racket over at the arcade," Katrina said jokingly. "Freddy keeps telling them to keep it down!"

And then Katrina looked over and quickly noticed Bonnie standing not too far away with his red guitar in hand. He was in the middle of entertaining a little blond boy wearing cute overalls. Bonnie had no trouble winning over kids with his cool ways and outgoing personality, but the little boy especially seemed to hero-worship the purple bunny. The little boy was holding what appeared to be a toy horn and was excitedly looking up to Bonnie who was beaming down at him.

"Okay now...on three this time," Bonnie said brightly. "One…two…three!" Bonnie began musically stringing his electronic red guitar and the blond boy immediately began to blow his toy horn too. The two were making a lot of noisy music. But Katrina thought it was adorable to see them playing together.

Chica thought so too. "Why look, it's Jared! I haven't seen him in a long time, he's grown-up. Jared loves Bonnie! He comes here with his toy horn just so he can jam with Bonnie," Chica explained. "Bonnie is a real sweetheart with kids. You should have seen the time he once encouraged a handicapped kid to dance. Bonnie is just so full of energy and spirits, kids always seem attracted to it."

And then Katrina heard Chica's pleasant tone become tender. "Bonnie is so wonderful with children. He's smart, friendly and always knows how to reach them. I remember when he was a boy…" Chica seemed to get lost in thought as her amethyst-eyes stared at Bonnie as if seeing him for the first time. There were a lot of admirable traits about the animatronic bunny she was starting to realize. And starting to appreciate…

"Chica?" Katrina's voice interrupted Chica's musings. For a moment, she was tempted to reveal to Chica that Bonnie liked her back… She could bring the two of them together.

But before Katrina could play match-maker, something rather unfortunate happened. Other kids were demanding for Bonnie's attention and the purple bunny turned and mechanically began moving his way toward the larger crowd of kids. Jared eagerly went to go follow Bonnie, but someone bumped into him and he knocked his toy horn under the dining table. The blond boy dropped to his knees and reached out to grab it…and accidentally bumped his head on the table ledge.

The boy's crying immediately rang out but nobody paid him the slightest attention. And the boy's parents were nowhere to be seen. Hearing Jared's heart-wrenching cries became too much to bear that Katrina got up and thought on going over to comfort the poor boy herself. But Bonnie heard Jared's crying too and changed direction to hurry to his side instead. Ignoring the other kids, Bonnie approached Jared and went to work on trying to stop the child's pained crying.

"Don't cry my little party-pal! The fun isn't over yet. Come join my band!" Bonnie invited. But Jared was still in tears and rubbing his injured head. "Grab your instrument, buddy. We'll show everyone our music skills!" Bonnie kindly picked up the toy horn and tried handing it to Jared but the poor boy continued crying. The little blond boy sure was being stubborn. And then Chica heard it…

Bonnie lowered his head down to Jared and spoke in a hushed soothing voice that sounded human. " _It's okay, Jared. You're all right. It's just a bump to the head. It won't hurt for long. Here, take my hand and I'll help you up_. _If you get up, I'll let you play with my guitar._ " Bonnie held out his big hand for him.

Chica stared at Bonnie when she realized he used his real voice…It wasn't usually allowed because Freddy had strictly told them to only use their voice-boxes around people. But Bonnie had broken that little rule in order to pacify a boy. It left Katrina impressed by how good Bonnie was at winning kids over while it left Chica falling even more in love with the guitar-playing bunny. After all these years… she was starting to feel differently about her friend. Sure, lots of boys used to have crushes on her back when she was alive. And yet Bonnie was the one boy who had been there for her all along…

Now Katrina and Chica watched as Bonnie managed to stop Jared's crying and helped him back to his feet. Jared bent down and picked up his toy horn and then gazed up at Bonnie with his tear-stained face. And as promised, Bonnie lowered his guitar and allowed for Jared to playfully string his guitar. Soon Jared's happy laughter attracted other kids and they all gathered around Bonnie and wanted to play too. Leaving Chica and Katrina to share a laugh while watching Bonnie get surrounded by noisy excited kids.

So much happiness in the pizzeria…All those happy families bringing their innocent children here for pizza parties, games & activities, fun rides & toys, and most of all Freddy and his friends. And yet "he" was getting hungry… It's been too long. He wanted to eat again. Seeing all those pure children was very tempting, but he wouldn't dare make a move. The animatronics were fiercely protective of the children and would run him out of here without hesitation. Instead he could only watch from the shadows… Only now he was filled with hatred and anger.

Growling in frustration, he jealously watched Freddy and Katrina together. From the darkness, he could tell that the two of them had gotten very close. He despised their bond...he wanted to destroy it. Maybe if he did that…he could finally have Katrina Marlowe for himself. Grinning maliciously to himself, he looked greedily at the beautiful girl by Freddy's side and grew evermore obsessed with her. Katrina was such a fool…she still didn't know the truth. And her soul was tarnished with so much fear and darkness. He wanted that darkness and he wanted her…

No long hiding in the darkness like a coward. Despite that golden bear constantly chasing him off, he had to get his claws on Katrina somehow. And it wouldn't be easy with the Puppet also always interfering. But he would find a way…all it required was a little careful planning. Starting with Freddy Fazbear… Yes, he would get rid of Freddy first. With the mascot of the restaurant out of the way, he could easily move in and take Katrina. And once he had her…he would break her.

" _ **Heh…heh…heh…Ha hah!**_ "

At the Prize Corner, the Puppet's pinprick eyes shot open when it sensed again that ominous presence. It was faint at first, but the Puppet definitely sensed it. The music box opened a crack and the Puppet peered out to look around but only to see kids shopping around for prizes and toys. There didn't appear to be any danger and yet… The Puppet's instincts were telling it that something bad was going to happen. Frowning uneasily, the Puppet quietly disappeared back into its box but continued to harbor unsettling feelings that something evil was lurking not far away…


	23. The dark side of Freddy Fazbear

**I've featured Bonnica in this chapter, because I'm a stinkin' shipper with no shame. Yeah I know. This chapter was by the far the most interesting one and the most fun to write. I don't want to give it away, so without further ado FNAF readers, read as more tragedy unfolds.**

* * *

The inky-black sky was filled with dark-grey clouds, and there was no moon or stars visible tonight. It looked like it was going to rain. Luckily Katrina managed to reach the pizzeria in time, just as raindrops started to fall, followed by the rolling sound of thunder in the distance. A thunderstorm was on its way… Climbing through the window, Katrina entered the girls' bathroom and headed for the door where she found Freddy Fazbear waiting faithfully for her arrival on the other side of it.

"Glad you could make it, Katrina. Looks like you'll be stuck in here for the night because of the storm outside," Freddy said warmly while opening his arms to invite Katrina for a hug.

"That's alright. This time I've come up with fun games for you and me to enjoy," Katrina said, lovingly cuddling the animatronic bear like he was one big teddy. "Let's go set up the games over there."

Freddy started to follow Katrina to the Dining Area, but not before stopping to ask Foxy a quick question. "Hey Foxy, did you remember to close all the windows? It's really coming down out there."

"Aye Cap'n… Tis place be locked tighter than a treasure chest," Foxy replied. "Well I'd best be off resting at the Pirate Cove. Jus' don' have the energy ter do anything righ' now." With that, Foxy returned to his attraction in a dejected manner. The pirate fox has been feeing down ever since Jackie had said good-bye to him.

"Don't worry about Foxy," Freddy said reassuringly. "Foxy just needs time to himself right now. Once he's feeling better again, he'll go back to challenging people to sword-fights. Trust me…," Freddy and Katrina sympathetically watched Foxy disappear into his cove. Then Freddy placed a hand on Katrina's shoulder and he gently steered her toward the Dining Area.

Outside the restaurant, the rain came pattering down hard onto the pavement, followed by occasional flashes of lightning. There were no signs of it letting up. But listening to the sounds of falling rain was peaceful. And it was here at the Arcade that Bonnie and Chica liked to stand by the big window and watch the stormy weather. Chica smiled with fascination as she saw rain gutters sprout out jets of water from the bottom, but Bonnie on the other hand was incredibly nervous. He was alone with his crush…

"Isn't this nice? I wish we could go outside. Then we could feel the rain on our faces," Chica was saying conversationally. "I really like how the rain washes everything clean. Maybe if we went outside, we'd get washed clean too!" Chica joked.

"Yeah…I wouldn't mind playing in the puddles. But maybe we shouldn't. As animatronics, too much water might cause our robotic limbs to rust. I'd rather stay dry…," Bonnie said with an awkward laugh. His heart leaped when Chica laughed too. He loved the sound of her laughter… In fact, there was nowhere that Bonnie would rather be than here with her.

Bonnie thought back on that fateful day where he finally got the courage to confess his love and admiration for Chica. But he lost that chance when he got lured to his death instead… What happened was tragic. And Bonnie was sorry that he couldn't tell Chica how he felt. As he gazed adoringly at the animatronic chick beside him, he suddenly remembered what Katrina had once told him. _It's not too late, Bonnie. You need to tell Chica now before you lose your chance for life._ Then Bonnie thought about the close relationship that Freddy and Katrina shared. It was the same unshakable bond he wanted with Chica. If only Bonnie could get back that courage…

Chica was quiet for a moment. "Bonnie…," she spoke his name softly. Now Chica looked at him and was smiling with affection. "What you did for Jared was a decent thing. No wonder you're such a big hit with the kids…," She gave a little sigh. "It feels like you, Freddy and Foxy are the more popular ones. All I'm good for is bringing people food…"

"That's not true!" Bonnie said vehemently. "You're popular with kids too. It's your job to mother them and make sure they get plenty to eat. And believe me…the kids always line up just to get spoiled rotten with all the sweets and treats you bring them. Kids really do look up to you, Chica."

Suddenly Chica reached out and took hold of Bonnie's hand. It was so unexpected that Bonnie looked down at their connecting hands and felt his heart beat faster and faster. When he looked up at her, Chica's amethyst eyes glowed warmly up at him. "You always say such nice things about me. Another habit of yours I love…"

This filled Bonnie with so many powerful emotions that he didn't bother to hide it. Chica's love and acceptance was all he's ever wanted and he was going to seize the moment. Bonnie managed to slip an arm around Chica and bring her closer to him. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel like such a loser. He felt that he was finally the boy Chica always deserved. And Chica couldn't have looked more proud of him. Together the animatronic bunny and animatronic chick snuggled with each other while watching the pouring rain outside and bright flashes of lightning in peace.

Cleverly hidden in the shadows, he watched Bonnie and Chica share an intimate moment by the window at the Arcade. It was a sickening sight to see… Now he vanished back into the shadows and vanished. Next he went into the lobby, the one place in the restaurant where the mascot animatronics never bothered to enter. It was here that he was free to sulk and snarl in frustration. He wanted Katrina so badly… There had to be some way to get Freddy Fazbear out of the way. And that was when he found his answer…

Sudden movement outside caught his attention immediately. Carefully approaching the front entrance, he peered out into the heavy rain and saw someone lurking around. It was a man… How odd to see a human around this time of night. From the looks of it, the man wasn't loitering but appeared to be trying to find a way in. The man kept trying the front door, only to curse irritably to himself when the door stayed locked. Why would the man want to come into the pizzeria at night-time? But then he knew why… The man kept muttering angrily to himself and was clearly not in his right mind.

This was his chance… At last, he could finally show Katrina the truth. She would see Freddy for what he really was. It would be perfect. With a nasty grin, he went over and easily unlocked the front door. The man heard the sound of the lock clicking, and when he tried the door, it opened much to his surprise. Now with determination and purpose, the man strode unopposed into the pizzeria. He was a man on a mission… It was time to do what should have been done before. It was time to force the Fazbear Entertainment to take full responsibility. Little did he know, a sinister shadow was closely following him.

Freddy and Katrina were in the middle of a chess game and it was really starting to heat up. Freddy wasn't kidding when he said he was great at board-games. The brown bear was quite the accomplished player. But still, Katrina loved playing with him just as much as she enjoyed his company. Freddy on the other hand tried concentrating on making his next move on the chess-board, but instead found himself distracted by the vivacious Katrina. She was a lot more interesting than the game, and all he could think about was how much he loved her…

"I can't believe you made that move! You better not be cheating, Mr. Fazbear…," Katrina playfully warned him. But then she got up from the chair and Freddy asked her where she was going. "I need to go to the bathroom. But don't you dare change those chess-pieces on me! I remember where they all were!" With that, Katrina hurried to the girls' bathroom, leaving Freddy at the Dining Area.

At the girls' lavatory, Katrina was finishing washing her hands and was drying them with a paper-towel. She was just exiting the bathroom and was about to head back to the Dining Area when strange noises coming from the room next door stopped her. That was the Boss Lounge, where the owner of the pizzeria could relax. And Katrina could hear someone fumbling around in there. There was somebody else here… Quietly as she could so as not to alarm the animatronics, Katrina crept over to the door and opened it a crack so that she could peek into the room.

To her surprise, it was a man. Katrina recognized him, it was the same man who had that crazy outburst a few days ago. How in the world did he get inside the restaurant? All the doors to this place were usually kept locked at night-time. But that wasn't all… The man appeared to be talking to himself and he sounded really mad. Katrina knew this wasn't good… She couldn't let Freddy and the others find this man. After thinking about what to do, she decided that maybe she could try talking to the man. Looking over her shoulder to make sure Freddy hadn't spotted her, Katrina slipped into the room unnoticed. With her eyes on the strange man, Katrina had to convince him to leave the restaurant before he was discovered.

"Excuse me…mister?" Katrina said, making her presence known. The man spun around at the sound of her voice and looked absolutely shocked to see her here. "Um…I don't know what you're up to, but…you shouldn't be here."

The man stared at her blankly with his eyes looking empty and hollow. Seeing him this close-up, Katrina realized he looked worse than ever. His clothes smelled terrible, he hadn't had a shave in weeks, and he looked more paranoid. For a moment, Katrina wondered if this was such a good idea. She was still remembering the man's crazy behavior from before. Maybe she shouldn't be alone with him… But Katrina never had a chance to plan her next move because the man was talking to her.

"Little girl…you…you can't be here…it's not safe. You need to leave here. Please leave…," there was so much pain in his voice and his expression was dark and grim.

"But what about you...?" Katrina asked him. "You can't be here either. I wouldn't want you to get into serious trouble. There's no reason for you to stay here…Unless you're only trying to take shelter from the rain outside?" She waited for what he would say next.

The man wouldn't look her in the face. For some reason, he looked like he was regretting something. "Nobody was supposed to be here…," he said mysteriously. "I'd hope to do this quietly, but I need to do it. It's the only way… I hope someday that people will understand why it was done. This is the only way I'll ever have peace again. I deserve that…"

This was starting to scare Katrina. Just what exactly was the man planning? "Sir…I don't know what you mean. Why are you here? Do you need a place to stay? Maybe I can help you." Katrina took a step forward and felt her foot kick into something. When she looked down, to her horror she saw it was a gas tank. Looking around the room, she saw more gas tanks…

Seeing the frightened look on Katrina's face, the man gazed at her tragically. "I'm sorry… You really need to go. This place and I have unfinished business. You're only a child so you don't understand. But this is for the best. It has to be done…" In his hand, he held a lighter. He was going to burn down Freddy Fazbear's Pizza!

"Mister, please listen to me! You don't want to do this," Katrina said urgently. She tried not to panic. But she couldn't let this man go through with it. She had to prevent this from happening somehow. "You can't torch this place down! You'll be arrested! Whatever problems you're having, this can't possibly be the solution."

"What do you know?" The man snapped at her. Now he had become angry. "This place is despicable! A total eye-sore in the neighborhood! The Fazbear Entertainment is a laughing joke! When all the tragedies happened here, all they did was blame others! The business meant more to them than innocent lives! And then they have the audacity to go on like nothing happened! I can't forgive them for that! They need to suffer just as much as I did!"

Katrina desperately wanted to calm the man, to reason with him… "I don't get it. Why do you hate this place so much?" she asked him. Maybe if she could keep him talking, she could figure out how to get all these tank gases out of here.

"MY SON WAS MURDERED HERE!" The man roared with his eyes wild with rage. "Colin loved this place…he always came here for every special occasion." The man became teary-eyed when talking about his son. "He was my only son…only eleven years old when he…" The man balled his hand into a fist while becoming emotional.

"Your son, Colin?" And then Katrina made the connection. The Butcher Night Incident… A boy named Colin Atkins was one of the kids that got killed. Which meant that this man could be only one person…? "You're Colin's father," Katrina said, understanding at last. "That's why you're here. You want revenge."

"You're damn right…," Mr. Atkins said sharply. "This restaurant needs to go… The Fazbear Entertainment can't get away with what they've done. My son was murdered here and they treated it like it was nothing. My family was destroyed…" Without warning, Mr. Atkins quickly grabbed the nearest gas tank and began furiously spraying gasoline all over the floor, the walls, the furniture…

"I'm going to destroy their precious business," said Mr. Atkins, who continued to crazily splash gasoline all around while Katrina gasped in horror. "My son's murder will not be ignored… I know the Fazbear Entertainment had something to do with it…there was a cover-up…" Mr. Atkins looked sadly over at Katrina. "Please leave… Trust me; you don't want to be here."

"No! I can't let you do this!" Katrina said defiantly. She reached out and grabbed the gas tank in Mr. Atkins' hands and tried to rip it out of his grip. "You can't burn down the restaurant! There are animatronics in here! Children still love them; you don't want to destroy that!"

"To hell with those mechanical monsters!" Mr. Atkins said pushing her away. "My life is already over… There's nothing left for me. Once I turn this place into a raging inferno of hell…I'm going to burn with it…peace at last…"

"Stop it! Please stop it!" Katrina couldn't let him do it. If she didn't stop him, Freddy and the others would get burned to a crisp as well. Katrina struggled to stop Mr. Atkins from spreading any more gasoline by trying to take away the gas tanks from him. Now she and Mr. Atkins got into a tug-o-war over a gas tank, until he took Katrina by the arms and angrily restrained her. Katrina glared up at him and wanted to keep on fighting. But unfortunately their squabble was overheard, and Katrina heard heavy footsteps approaching them.

"Katrina? What's going on?"

Katrina felt her heart race when she looked up in time to see Freddy Fazbear step into the Boss Lounge. This was not what she wanted… Freddy stepped into the room and froze when he saw Mr. Atkins. He had no trouble recognizing the man. Freddy stared at the man roughly holding Katrina by the wrists and immediately detected a threat in his programming. But it only got worse when Freddy came to notice all the gas tanks in the room and realized what Mr. Atkins was actually planning on doing. Mr. Atkins stared back at the animatronic bear in confusion at first, and then he realized it was none other than the mascot of the restaurant.

"Fre…Freddy?" Katrina tried to explain but never got the chance.

It was too late… Perhaps it was due to fear or desperation, Katrina couldn't say for sure. The next thing she knew, Mr. Atkins was tossing her aside and then he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the lighter. The second Freddy saw him do it…a horrible change overtook him. Katrina felt pure fear when she saw Freddy transform before her. No longer looking warm or jolly, Freddy's blue eyes vanished and were replaced by cold black eyes with unforgiving pinprick dots that scowled at Mr. Atkins furiously. Katrina was paralyzed with fear, she couldn't stop him… Freddy lunged at Mr. Atkins with frightening speed while letting out that horrible screech that sounded more like an animalistic cry.

"Freddy no! Don't!" Katrina realized the screaming was coming from her.

Knocking the gas tanks aside, Mr. Atkins shouted in terror as he was suddenly being attacked by this hulking animatronic that was coming after him. He had no time to dodge as Freddy easily grabbed him with inhuman strength and let out an angry roar by tossing him across the room like a ragdoll. Katrina screamed again as the man's body got flung against the wall, causing hanging pictures and certificates to crash to the floor. And Freddy hadn't had enough, he was already moving over to the fallen man. He was out for blood…

"Freddy! Stop! Don't hurt him!" Katrina tried grabbing Freddy by the arm and pulling him back. But Freddy ignored her and continued his attack. It was like the Freddy Fazbear she knew was gone, and in his place was this vengeful machine full of anger and hatred.

The lighter had fallen out of Mr. Atkins hand, yet he scrambled on the floor in an attempt grab it. He never made it… Freddy reached down and lifted him up by the neck. Mr. Atkins made choking noises while looking into the face of the mascot his son once loved. Freddy's endoskeleton eyes stared unfeelingly at the man and began to tighten his grip. The darkness consumed Freddy's soul that he felt all powerful and eager to squeeze the life out of this man…and hide his remains in a suit. The longer he watched his victim suffer, the more pleasure it gave him. Until a frantic voice snapped him out of his murderous rage.

"BERNARD!"

Katrina had thrown herself onto Freddy to stop him and was sobbing uncontrollably. In all his years, nobody has ever called him by his real name before. It made him come to his senses, and it caused Freddy to realize what he'd done. He attacked this man in a blind fury and he had done it right in front of Katrina. He only wanted to protect her. My god…he almost "killed" a man right in front of her! He acted like a monster. As Katrina kept on sobbing, Freddy fought an inner struggle within himself. Torn between wanting to kill this man for endangering the restaurant, and wanting to go comfort Katrina. Freddy fought to regain control of himself and not give in to his demons.

"Don't kill him! Please don't kill him! You've already stopped him! Now please! No more fighting! Let him go! I'm begging you! Just let him go!" Katrina pleaded tearfully.

Freddy saw that Katrina was shaking from head to toe, saw that she wouldn't stop crying. It was too heart-wrenching that Freddy decided that he couldn't do it. With his expression softening and his wrath subsiding, Freddy released the man who dropped onto the floor and massaged his neck while coughing and gagging from nearly being strangled to death. Forgetting about the man, Freddy's focus was on Katrina who was now leaning against the wall, hugging herself and looking very shocked. He regretted his actions and all he wanted to do was console her.

"Katrina…it's okay… there's no need to be afraid anymore. You're safe," Freddy reached out to touch her shoulder, but to his dismay, Katrina shrieked and flinched from him. "Katrina, what's wrong? It's only me. Katrina?" Freddy tried again to take her into his arms to hold her, but Katrina pushed him away. The whole time, she wouldn't look him in the face. "What is it? Are you hurt?"

At first Freddy thought she was afraid of the man who had snuck in here but then realized the real reason. "Katrina…look at me…please look at me…," Freddy said helplessly. "Don't be afraid of me. You know me, Katrina. You know I would never hurt you. I was only…I didn't mean to… I'm so sorry." Freddy hung his head and felt remorse. "I never meant for you to see this side of me… Katrina I…"

Katrina never looked at him… With an anguished cry, she turned and fled for the door without ever looking back. "Katrina wait! Where are you going? Come back! Don't leave, Katrina!" Freddy cried.

But Katrina was already gone. It left Freddy standing there, feeling a maelstrom of emotions. The damage had been done. She'd seen his dark side… He only tried to protect her but instead he ended up terrifying her. How could he have lost control like that? Freddy started for the door and was determined to find Katrina and bring her back. He didn't want to lose her. But a groan from behind made Freddy turn around and remember that the man was still here…

For a moment, Freddy feared that the man was still going to try to torch the place. But now he seemed way too traumatized and had resorted to lying in a fetus position while blubbering nonstop to himself. Suddenly the man looked pitiful and harmless, and Freddy no longer felt threatened. And that was when he saw the picture on the ground that had fallen out of the man's pocket. He recognized the smiling boy right away… Colin Atkins. One look at that photo and the animatronic bear knew he had made a big mistake… This man was a distraught father. So that was why Katrina didn't want him to hurt the man. What had he done?

"Oh my god…," Freddy became appalled. Quickly forgetting about the poor man, Freddy left the room and began searching for Katrina. "Katrina! Katrina, where are you?"

Entering the Dining Area, Freddy's blue eyes darted all around, desperately trying to find her. "Katrina! Please answer me…I didn't mean to frighten you! Are you hiding somewhere? Come on out!" Next Freddy headed to the kitchen and tried looking for her there. "Please let me explain…I thought that man was going to hurt you! I would never have…"

Yet no matter where he looked, Freddy couldn't find Katrina anywhere. Freddy grew more upset as he called out for Katrina over and over again. He couldn't find her and she wouldn't answer him. This drew the attention of Bonnie, Chica and Foxy who came running at the sound of Freddy's shrill voice. Freddy turned to his friends and he was more troubled than ever.

"Guys! It's Katrina! She's hiding somewhere! I…I can't find her. Please…you have to find her…I have to bring her back…I have to tell her…," Freddy was so distraught that he could barely speak. It was scaring him that he couldn't find Katrina.

Foxy and Bonnie hurried off to help look for Katrina. However Chica stayed with Freddy and noticed how visibly shaken up he was. "My goodness Freddy…What on earth is going on?" she asked him. But Freddy was such an emotional-wreck that he couldn't answer any of her questions. So now Chica gently coaxed the brown bear into sitting into a chair and tried to keep him calm.

"Now don't you worry, I'm sure Foxy and Bonnie will find her," Chica reassured him. "What happened between you and Katrina? Did you get into another argument with her?"

"I wish that we had," Freddy lets out a hollow laugh. Without looking at Chica, Freddy appeared very dazed and out of it. "I did a bad thing…," he admitted. "A man broke into the restaurant. He was going to burn this place down. I couldn't let him do it." Chica listened in stunned silence as Freddy stared unseeingly straight ahead. "I attacked the man and I would have killed him too…only…Katrina stopped me. If Katrina hadn't been there, I would have killed that man without a second thought."

Chica stared at Freddy in shock. "You mean…?" Chica realized what must have happened. Looking into Freddy's grave expression, she knew he had done the unthinkable. "But…but you didn't mean to, right? That man was an intruder…you had to stop him," Chica tried telling him. When she got no response from him, she went on. "I'm sure it was an accident. You were only trying to protect her."

"No…," Freddy said with a solemn shake of his head. "I acted selfishly… I wanted to punish that man. It was all I could think about…" But in the end, Freddy had decided to spare the man's life. He couldn't bring himself to harm the man. Not after seeing the look on Katrina's face. He loved her too much…

Suddenly Bonnie came rushing toward them while looking very alarmed. "Freddy come quick! You have to see this!" he shouted urgently.

Freddy was already on his feet and hurrying after Bonnie. He prayed that Katrina had been found. Maybe now he could let her know that he didn't hurt Mr. Atkins. All he wanted was to see her and hold her… And let her know that he wasn't a monster. Bonnie led Freddy to the girls' bathroom where they found Foxy standing there waiting for them. Foxy avoided Freddy's eyes, which wasn't a good sign. Then Bonnie quietly went over to the girls' bathroom door and opened it for Freddy to go see for himself.

Freddy took one step into the bathroom and he was met with a heart-breaking sight. The window was open like always, but there was a stool standing there. Katrina must have used it to climb out of the window by herself. Meaning that Katrina was no longer in the pizzeria…she had left. The rain continued to pour outside, followed by lightning and a booming thunder. Freddy stood there and stared at the open window and felt like he lost all feeling in his animatronic-body. Katrina was gone. He had scared her away…probably for good. Was she ever going to come back?

"Freddy?" A gentle voice spoke to him from behind. Bonnie and Foxy stepped aside and watched as Chica placed a motherly hand on Freddy's shoulder. "It's okay, Freddy. Katrina will come back. I'm sure she will. She's upset right now but she'll come back. You need to believe that."

Freddy barely heard Chica. He stared straight ahead and went numb. Katrina was gone… She left him. What if she hated him now? Freddy wasn't aware of what was going on anymore. He only remembered his robotic body shutting down on him and nearly stumbling to the ground. He felt the hands of Bonnie and Foxy quickly grabbing his arms to prevent him from fainting. Now his friends escorted him out of the girls' bathroom and took him back to the Dining Area. No matter what soothing words they tried telling him; Freddy only fell evermore into despair.

"Katrina…," Freddy whispered sorrowfully to himself. He never wanted her to see his dark side. He'd hoped she would never come to know of it… But it was too late. Katrina saw him for what he really was. He never even had the chance to apologize to her or tell her his real feelings for her. Just another horrible mistake Freddy would forever regret.

Then things got worst. Golden Freddy appeared to them at once and he was looking very worried. "Hurry everyone! The police are here! I see them parking outside the restaurant!" The golden-bear warned them.

"Yer kidding! Ain't things bad enough round' ere?" Foxy said irritably.

As heart-broken as he was over Katrina, Freddy Fazbear was still the mascot of this restaurant and he still had responsibilities to attend to. Ignoring the pain in his heart, Freddy straightened and turned to his three friends with a serious scowl. "Everyone back to your places! Now! We'll deal with this another time."

"But…But what about Katrina?" Chica couldn't help asking.

"No time! I said get back to your places! Bonnie and Chica to the stage, Foxy to the Pirate Cove, and Golden to the parts & service room. Don't gawk at me! Move all of you!" Freddy barked at them.

With that, all the animatronics hurried off to return to their respective places. "Hmmph…return of the bossy boar," Foxy muttered dryly under his breath as he sprinted back to his attraction.

Bonnie and Chica already stood in their regular spots on the Show Stage and Freddy quickly went to join them. The police must be here to investigate reports of a break-in. They would have no trouble finding the man he left alive at the Boss Lounge. Freddy's last thoughts was on Katrina… How was he ever going to make this right again? Perhaps it's like Chica said, Katrina would come back. And when she did, Freddy would tell her how sorry he was. She deserved an explanation from him. Freddy kept telling himself it would be alright, he would see Katrina maybe tomorrow.

Fifteen minutes later…

Two police cars were parked outside Freddy Fazbear's Pizza with lights still flashing. After receiving the call about a suspicious individual lurking around the restaurant, two uniformed cops came over to check it out. Sure enough, they discovered that the front door was unlocked and that someone did indeed break in. Going inside the family-restaurant to investigate further, the two police officers found a very disturbed man rocking back and forth in the Dining Area. The man put up no resistance as the officers placed him under arrest for breaking and entering.

Soon a third car showed up at the pizzeria and parked not too far from the police cars. Inside the station-wagon sat a man with sandy-colored hair and mustache. He was calmly smoking a cigarette while peering curiously up at the sign with Freddy Fazbear's cheery face shown on it. It's been a while since he'd been here, but he's never forgotten this place. He heard rumors about a prowler at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza and well…he wanted to know what that was all about.

Finishing his cigarette and putting it out in his ash-tray, now the man stepped out of his vehicle just as the two police officers were escorting out a hobo from the looks of it. The man looked like hell and was muttering incoherently to himself. It made him wonder what could possibly have spooked the man. If that weren't enough, he saw what appeared to be gas tanks being taken out of the restaurant as well. One of the officers immediately recognized the mustached man heading over to them.

"Detective Oliver Thompkins…," acknowledged one of the officers. He was bald and his name-tag read Jackson. "Still chasing shadows, are we?" The man chuckled amusingly to himself.

"That's right," the detective replied coolly. It was no secret that Oliver Thompkins had been trying to solve the mysteries surrounding Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. For years, he'd been trying to put all the puzzles together and understand what was really going on with the seemingly innocent restaurant. A sharp-witted man with much experience on the police force, to this day he was still haunted by the many unsolved crimes that occurred here.

"We found the man inside the restaurant," Jackson informed Thompkins. "Looks like an attempted arson. The crazy bastard was totally going to torch this place down. If we haven't arrived here in time like we did, well, let's just say they would've have to change the name to Freddy Fazbear's Barbeque."

Detective Thompkins nodded; then went over to approach the car where he could see through the window that the man was still looking very unhinged. Now he turned back to Officer Jackson. "What's the story with this guy? Any ID on him?"

"As a matter of fact, we did find ID on him," Jackson confirmed. "His name is Warren Atkins. Sir, you do know who he is, don't you?"

Thompkins didn't recognize him at first, but now there was no mistake. Mr. Atkins was the father of Colin Atkins. One of the kids who been found murdered inside Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. It left all the parents inconsolable, but no one had been more devastated or outraged than Warren Atkins. And now here before him was a truly broken-man. A man consumed with revenge… Thompkins sadly shook his head and looked away. Another tragedy, courtesy of the Fazbear Entertainment, of course. Interestedly enough, it always came back to Fazbear Entertainment…

"Ugh…I never liked this place. And I especially was never fond of animatronics, even when I was a kid," said one police officer by the name of Odell. For some reason, this made all three men look up at the restaurant which seemed to loom over them like one big shadow.

"Have you ever heard of the ghost stories?" piped up Jackson. "My kids told me about the ghost stories once. I personally thought it was all silly superstitious nonsense. About scary animatronics coming to life and looking for revenge… Sounds pretty weird if you ask me."

While the two officers continued talking with each other, Detective Thompkins however became lost in thought as he remembered all the horrors that took place at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. It all started with Fredbear's Diner… The kid found murdered outside… Then five children go missing, never to be seen ever again… Five more children are found viciously slaughtered on restaurant grounds… Plus there were those horrible accidents that took place here as well, followed by some employees known for mysteriously vanishing into thin air. There was no doubt in his mind that the Fazbear Entertainment had a lot to hide…

"Well we're taking this guy down to the station. The poor guy looks like shit ran over twice," Officer Odell said, gazing sympathetically at the man sitting in the back of the police car.

Just as Officer Jackson was getting in the driver's seat, he looked up to notice the detective still gazing pensively up at the pizzeria. "Hey Thompkins, you coming or what?" he called over to the mustached man.

"You boys go ahead. Somebody better call the owner and let him know that someone tried to burn down his restaurant. I don't know if he'll want to press charges, but take good care of Mr. Atkins in the meantime, okay?" Thompkins waved the police officers off.

Now Thompkins watched the police car pull out of the parking lot and head into the direction of the local police station. His heart went out to Mr. Atkins; he didn't blame the guy for wanting to get back at Fazbear Entertainment. But so many innocent lives had been lost here… Thompkins sighed and thought about all the families that have been ruined because of this restaurant. When would the tragedies end? As Thompkins started to head back for his own car, he gave the Freddy Fazbear sign one last look. Perhaps Mr. Atkins has the right idea after all… Maybe burning this place to the ground was the only way to put a stop to all the suffering and misfortunes.

* * *

 **It's sad that the chapter had to end this way. What will happen now? I'll get the next update up as quick as I can. As for Jackie Garvey, you'll still see her every now and then. Sorry if she doesn't have a bigger role. I try to focus on the main animatronics. Thanks for reading, I hope it promised to be a good read!**


	24. The downfall of a childhood hero

Katrina Marlowe didn't return to the restaurant the next day. No matter where Freddy Fazbear looked, he didn't see his beloved girl with the beautiful honey-hair anywhere in the crowd. It sent him into a deep depression that left him feeling empty inside. Katrina didn't come back. Was she angry at him or was she afraid of him? Maybe it was both. It only added to Freddy's guilt. All he could remember was Katrina running away from him like he was some big scary monster. Despite many kids coming to the pizzeria that day, Freddy never stopped thinking about Katrina, not even for an instant. It filled him with misery to know that he was the reason why she wouldn't come back.

"Hey Freddy! Hello? Why is he just standing there? How come he won't talk to me?" A girl was trying to get Freddy's attention but the animatronic bear wouldn't look in her direction.

"How come he's not singing?" Another girl wondered aloud. "A friend of mines told me if you start singing, Freddy sings back to you. I wish I hadn't missed Karaoke awhile back, I heard it was fun singing with Freddy Fazbear."

Letting out a low sigh, Freddy began to play his cheery Toreador's March jingle to amuse the two girls who looked up at him in wonder. Freddy put on a happy grin for all the kids to see, but inside he was in pain. Every time a lovely girl walked into the pizzeria, Freddy hoped it was Katrina. But the hours went by and there was still no sign of Katrina Marlowe. Freddy tried to keep a lid on his emotions, but it was proving to be difficult. He wanted to see Katrina so badly. He needed to see her and explain himself. With a heavy heart, Freddy raised the microphone to his mouth and announced to the excited kids it was time for the Fazbear Show.

" _I'm so worried about Freddy. I can tell he's really upset. Katrina hasn't shown up at all today,"_ Chica silently communicated to Bonnie. She'd been watching Freddy all day and could tell that the brown bear was very unhappy.

" _It'll be alright, Chica. Maybe Katrina will come back. She would never leave Freddy,_ " Bonnie said soothingly. " _Why I bet Katrina will come back tonight. You'll see…"_ But Bonnie also couldn't stop casting worrying looks over at Freddy. He hoped he was right…

Later that very night, when the animatronics entered free-roaming mode, Bonnie and Chica watched as Freddy stepped offstage and was already heading straight for the girls' bathroom in the hopes of meeting Katrina there. She hadn't shown up during the day and he was hoping she would return tonight. Bonnie, Chica, Foxy and Golden stood together and sadly watched as Freddy Fazbear stood patiently waiting for Katrina to return. It was touching to see but heart-breaking at the same time. They all knew how much Katrina meant to Freddy.

"She will come back, won't she?" Chica said anxiously. "What if Katrina doesn't come back? What will happen then?"

"Quit spewing that kinda talk, Chica!" Foxy scolded. "Of course Katrina is comin' back! Ye'll see. Give her ten minutes, she'll be ere' faster than a thievin' pirate wit' rocket boosters!"

Yet the nightly hours ticked by… And Freddy was still waiting by the girls' bathroom, waiting and listening out for Katrina's arrival. The longer he stood there, the more despondent he became. Freddy kept telling himself over and over that she was coming back. He would see her, take her into his arms and never let her go. No matter what it takes, no matter what she thought of him now…he was never going to stop loving her. More than anything, Freddy wanted her to come so that he could finally confess that he had feelings for her…

Soon the dark sky brightened and the sun was starting to rise in the horizon. It was morning now. The staff would be arriving to open the restaurant at 6:00AM sharp. Bonnie and Chica were just heading back to the Show Stage when Bonnie looked over and was sadden to see a melancholy Freddy still standing alone by the bathrooms. Katrina didn't come back… It wasn't until Chica approached the animatronic bear and placed a hand on his shoulder while gently coaxing him back to the Show Stage. Freddy didn't say a word and his expression looked positively haunted. Something inside him just shattered… He was never going to see Katrina Marlowe ever again.

Elsewhere…

Katrina lay listlessly in her bed and was listening to the incessant chirping of early birds outside her window. Morning had finally arrived and it looked like it was going to be a sunny day after all those thunderstorms last night. Yet she was back to feeling depressed and lonely. She heard on the news that the police have arrested Warren Atkins for breaking into Freddy Fazbear's Pizza last night. But what she couldn't stop remembering was Freddy's eyes turning black with rage, his ghostly eyes glinting coldly, and that horrible screeching roar. She never knew Freddy Fazbear was capable of such violence…

"Freddy…why?" Katrina closed her eyes as more tears dripped down her cheeks and she wiped them away with her blanket. It became too much for her.

After Katrina fled from the restaurant, she ran all the way to the house where she locked herself in her room and cried herself to sleep. She felt betrayed…she thought she knew Freddy very well. But she was wrong. It kept playing over and over in her mind like a horror movie. " _Freddy! Stop! Don't hurt him"!_ Katrina placed her hands over her ears and tried to get the image of a scary Freddy choking Mr. Atkins in his iron-grip out of her head. How could Freddy do that? She'd hoped that he would take pity on the man and try to help him. Instead Freddy only saw Mr. Atkins as a threat and attacked him with no warning.

"Katrina?" There was a soft knock at her bedroom door, and she tearfully looked up to see it was Jackie. "Dinner is ready. Mrs. Cosgrove was hoping maybe you'd like to come down and eat?" Jackie asked her gently. Unlike the other girls, Jackie was the only one who showed genuine concern for Katrina.

"No thank you…," Katrina replied solemnly. She turned over on her side until her back was to Jackie. No matter how many times Mrs. Cosgrove tried talking to her, Katrina remained unresponsive. She couldn't tell anyone what happened. So she continued to suffer alone…

Jackie put a plate of food on top of Katrina's bureau before giving Katrina one final gloomy look and closing the door behind her as she left. Katrina remained locked inside her room and couldn't stop the depressed thoughts from coming. She believed in Freddy…she trusted him. But she was a fool… The animatronics were possessed by vengeful ghosts. How could she forget that? Come to think of it, the animatronics never did get along with grown-ups. They were gentle and playful with children, but they were distant and distrustful toward adults. She couldn't stop thinking about Freddy, her beloved bear… Suddenly she remembered what Shadow Freddy had once told her.

" _ **Freddy Fazbear is not what he seems. You will soon see him for what he really is…**_ "

So that's what Shadow Freddy meant… That sinister shadow knew all along that there was darkness in Freddy's heart. Katrina hadn't wanted to believe it at first, until she saw it for herself. She didn't want to think of Freddy as a monster but now she didn't know what to think anymore. She was so confused. This was why she couldn't go back to the pizzeria. She couldn't face Freddy. Things were too much of a mess. Katrina laid there in bed, staring over at a Freddy Fazbear plushie sitting on her nightstand that the Puppet had given to her as a gift. One look at the teddy bear and Katrina broke into tears again…

Five days later…

Freddy Fazbear was getting worse… When Katrina Marlowe stopped coming to the pizzeria, the animatronic bear fell into a deep slump that seemed unending. The legendary mascot that once could win the hearts of children without fail had now lost his spirit. Freddy's laugh sounded mirthless, his smiles looked fake, his singing wasn't joyous, but most of all, kids were beginning to detect the sadness from the big brown bear. One birthday party was an example of this.

"Happy birthday, little champ! I must be the luckiest bear ever to be formally invited to your birthday party! Now blow your candles and make a wish! Be sure to make it a good one!" Freddy boomed jovially down at the widely grinning boy.

Without warning, the boy felt something wet drip onto his arm. Looking down at his arm, he saw that it looked like water. And when he looked up at the animatronic bear, he saw a strange sight. Water leaking from Freddy Fazbear's eyes? The boy stood up from his chair and tried to get a better look, but Freddy was already walking the other way. That was close… Freddy knew he had to control his emotions better. It was the second time today he almost broke down crying… Other kids came running up to happily greet him, but Freddy walked right by them with a smile frozen on his face and returned to the Show Stage. With Katrina gone, Freddy saw no point in anything anymore…

" _I'm really getting scared, Bonnie! Freddy's not getting any better. I've never seen him like this. It's worst than the time he blamed himself for the five kids being killed. What do we do?_ " Poor Chica was supposed to be entertaining children and bringing them their favorite pizzas, but was much too distracted by watching Freddy's morose behavior.

" _Calm down, Chica. I know it looks bad. But now isn't a good time. We'll worry about it later._ " Bonnie waved over to her with his chipper bucked-toothy grin but his voice was strong and comforting. " _Everything will be okay, Chica. I won't let anything bad happen. We'll find a way to help Freddy._ "

Freddy didn't come offstage anymore, another sign of his despondency. His blue eyes traveled around the Dining Area, looking into each girl's face and praying that it was Katrina. He missed her so much… And it was his fault that she was gone. The guilt ate away at him, and he hated himself for what he had done. Unfortunately Freddy's feelings of despair attracted a certain devious shadow. As Freddy was watching innocent little toddlers play with toys, an ominous shadow stood over them and it was none other than Shadow Freddy… Freddy stiffen at the sight of his dark counterpart that he became furious. How dare Shadow show up like this and in the middle of the day! Shadow looked delighted at the sight of Freddy's perturbed expression.

" _ **Did you think you could get rid of me that easily?**_ " Shadow taunted Freddy. " _ **As long as there is darkness in the world, I'll never go away**_ …"

" _Get out of my sight, Shadow! I am so not in the mood to deal with you!"_ Freddy gritted his teeth and tried not to look too hostile in case employees took notice of his odd behavior. " _Get away from those kids! What have I told you about showing your ugly self around here? You better leave right now!"_

Shadow only laughed cruelly and knew that Freddy couldn't do a thing to stop him. What Freddy didn't know was that Shadow Freddy had gotten stronger… " _ **So much darkness in you, Freddy. What delicious feelings of guilt, sorrow and loneliness,**_ " Shadow said with relish.

Freddy could only stand onstage and glare in frustration at Shadow Freddy who stood in the middle of a crowded Dining Area. Disturbingly enough, nobody else could see the black bear standing there and they walked right through him countless times. Some kids were starting to complain that it was suddenly too cold in here… This was not good. Freddy didn't want Shadow here. Besides, Shadow Freddy has never shown himself during daytime like this before. But Freddy was more worried for the children.

" _ **Where is Katrina?**_ " Shadow asked with his eyes glowing calculatingly. " _ **Where is she, Freddy? Did you scare her away? Did you finally show her what a monstrous beast you really are?**_ "

" _I'm warning you, Shadow. I want you out of here_ ," Freddy threatened. He really didn't want to do this here. He was supposed to be entertaining children, but Shadow Freddy was being an unwanted pest.

Shadow Freddy kept on provoking him. " _ **I see… So Katrina has seen the darkness in you. She finally sees you for the creature that you really are. And then soon…**_ **,** " Shadow motions to the other kids with an evil grin. " _ **All the kids will be afraid of you too, Freddy. They'll all see you for what you really are.**_ "

Freddy was simmering on the spot as Shadow Freddy laughed at his misery. He finally had had enough. " _You can't get to me, Shadow. I won't let you. In fact…I am hereby banishing you from my restaurant!"_

Freddy knew Shadow's game. Shadow was deliberately trying to get Freddy to show his fangs so as to scare more kids. But Freddy wasn't going to fall for it. He knew what Shadow Freddy was really after. Instead of letting this shifty shadow push him around, Freddy was going to get rid of Shadow Freddy once and for all. He was a serious threat and Freddy wasn't going to have it. Shadow Freddy may be strong, but Freddy was stronger. However Shadow Freddy wasn't about to disappear quietly.

" _ **What? You can't do that!"**_ Shadow snapped. He was angry now and giving Freddy a cold look. " _ **You can't get rid of me, Freddy Fazbear. You and I had a deal!**_ " __

" _Well the deal's off…,"_ Freddy declared. " _I'm never letting you cause trouble around here ever again. I won't be your victim anymore. You're finished, Shadow!"_ But to Freddy's unsettling surprise, Shadow was smiling and looking calm. Before Freddy had a chance to know what he was up to, it was too late.

The next thing Freddy knew Shadow was teleporting at him with blinding speed and then thrusts his dark-clawed fist straight into Freddy's heart. Freddy's mouth dropped open in shock and he gasped as he felt his entire body go cold and then numb. Every feeling vanished and he felt nothing… Worst of all, Shadow Freddy was grinning manically as he sucked all the life out of the mascot bear. Once he was sure the Freddy Fazbear animatronic was too weak to fight back, Shadow looked down and saw the ghost of Bernard Walcott clutching his heart and looking up at him in horror.

" _ **I'm far from finished… You shouldn't have gone back on your word, Bernard. Because now I can go back on mines. You're not very smart. But with you out of the way, my real plan can proceed…**_ " Shadow whispered something into Freddy's ear, and Freddy's eyes widened in disbelief. It was the last thing Freddy remembered before everything went black…

There were shouts of alarm from the parents and screams from the kids when Freddy Fazbear suddenly tumbled off the Show Stage and fell lifelessly to the floor with a great big crash. People started talking loudly at once and some were staring at the animatronic bear that now laid sprawled on the ground. Children approached the fallen Freddy Fazbear and were sadly looking down at him like he was some kind of injured animal. Bonnie and Chica were desperately trying to calm down some frightened children, but they too stared over at their fallen leader and were horrified. Everyone couldn't stop staring at the beloved mascot of the pizzeria, who now laid dead-like on the floor and was no longer moving… This left Shadow Freddy free to disappear into the darkness while laughing crazily all the way.

Over at the Prize Corner, a bunch of kids were hurrying over to the Dining Area after hearing the news of Freddy Fazbear fainting offstage. With all this ruckus going on, the Puppet opened its lid and peeked out to see what was going on. Freddy Fazbear fell off the stage? Things were bad here. Something terrible has happened to Freddy, no doubt about that. The Puppet was finally getting worried. And then it knew that there was only one person who could bring Freddy back to life. Right at that exact moment, Golden Freddy materialized into the Prize Corner and turned to the Puppet with alarm in his ghostly pinprick eyes. There he broke the news to the Puppet.

"Puppet! It's Freddy! He's fainted!" Golden said anxiously. "They're trying to fix him right now. Bonnie and Chica are worried-sick. They don't know what to do!" The poor golden bear sounded upset.

The Puppet nodded its head understandably while reaching out his clawed-hand to pat Golden's muzzle to calm him. " _Don't worry, Golden. I'm going to help Freddy. But it's not going to be easy,"_ the Puppet reassured him. This was going to be tricky, but the Puppet had to do something and fast. Popping out of its music box, now Puppet gently held Golden's face in its hands and had something important to say.

" _Listen carefully to me, Golden. The staff won't be able to fix Freddy Fazbear. This is something that can't be fixed with tools. Freddy's heart is vulnerable right now. The only person who can save him is Katrina._ "

"Katrina? But…but Katrina hasn't come back," Golden said gloomily. "Freddy hasn't been the same ever since Katrina gone away. And now he's broken and they'll never be able to fix him! They'll probably close the restaurant! I'm scared!" Golden Freddy sounded like a child who needed comforting.

The Puppet couldn't resist smiling up at the large golden bear that possessed the soul of a six-year old. " _There's no need for that kind of talk. You need to have faith, Golden. If you believe good things can happen, then they will. But I need for you to do something for me. When they take Freddy to the parts & service room, I want to you guard Freddy there. Can you do that for me?_ _"_

With a sniffle, Golden smilingly nodded his head yes and felt better. Then the golden bear teleported from the Prize Corner and left the Puppet to do some serious thinking inside its music box. For the last couple of days, the Puppet had tried everything to talk Freddy out of his depression, but the stubborn brown bear hadn't listened to a single word. All Freddy did was pine away for the girl he lost. And now Freddy was in big trouble… It was all up to Katrina now. She was the only one who could fix Freddy's broken heart.


	25. The Puppetmaster

**_There are a lot_ of moments in my story that closely reminds you of the indie games. All four games was an inspiration and I've always wanted to contribute a good readable FNAF story for fans to truly enjoy. I love all the animatronics but like I have to keep reminding my readers, I couldn't fit them all into my story because then it would look sloppily done. I may even do other stories if I get inspired again. You'll also noticed that I also belong to other fandoms and have got good stories there too. For now, here's the next chapter for you to read.**

* * *

 _Her nightmares were unending. Worst than the old ones she used to have. Katrina was trapped inside her dark bedroom with no escape. Outside her door, she could hear Freddy Fazbear in the hallway. She could hear the animatronic bear pounding at her door and trying to get in. Freddy thought she was in trouble and was begging to be let him in so he could help her. But Katrina was scared of him…afraid that Freddy would betray her and attack instead. So she didn't let him in. And Katrina continued to cower on her bed while wishing Freddy would stop pounding at her door and pleading for her to let him in._

" _Katrina…Katrina…_ " A soft voice suddenly called to her. " _Wake up Katrina. You're having a nightmare."_

Katrina's eyes opened and she realized that she had been asleep. Looking out her window, she saw that it was night-time and the clock read 10:00AM. Now she sat up and pushed back her messy hair over her shoulder while waiting for her heart to stop beating so hard. It was only a nightmare but…whose voice was that? Katrina looked around her room and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. There was her laundry basket, her favorite jewelry box, her Freddy plushie staring at her with its glowing eyes…

" _Katrina…_ ," it spoke to her and Katrina jumped. She stared open-mouthed at her Freddy doll. " _Oh good, you're awake,"_ the voice said kindly. " _Will you talk to me?_ _"_ Katrina only stared speechlessly at the plushie sitting on her night-stand. " _That's okay, you can just listen,_ " the teddy bear said understandingly. " _I really need to talk to you._ "

Katrina hopped from her bed and with her eyes still on the plushie doll, she began backing away. She had to be imagining things. This wasn't real. She had to get out of here. But the Freddy doll saw her being wary and hastily called after her. " _Please come back, Katrina! This isn't a dream!_ "

"Who are you?" Katrina asked suspiciously.

" _That's not important. Katrina, we have serious trouble here at the pizzeria_ _,"_ the plushie told her urgently. " _It's Freddy… Something terrible has happened. Earlier today he collapsed from the Show Stage and he hasn't moved since. Nobody can fix him and the restaurant is in hiatus right now. Things are a real mess…_ "

Whatever doubts Katrina had vanished the second she heard about Freddy. It couldn't be… Freddy was broken? She was greatly disconcerted when the plushie continued. " _Freddy is in real bad shape. Ever since you went away, he's been miserable and lonely. He feels very bad about what went down five days ago. Freddy didn't mean for it to happen… You know what I'm referring to._ "

Yes, Katrina did know what the little plushie was talking about. But it still filled her with heartache whenever she thought about the look on Freddy's face when she ran from him… The plushie gazed compassionately at her with its glowing eyes. " _Please Katrina… Freddy needs you. You have to come back to the restaurant and see him_ ," the soft voice urged her.

But Katrina sadly bowed her head in shame. "I…I can't do it… It's just that I…Wait a second," Katrina was struck with a sudden suspicious thought. "How do you know all this?" Katrina asked the plushie sitting on her night-stand. "How do you know that Freddy is in trouble? And how do you know my name? I never told it to you!" Katrina frowned distrustfully at the teddy bear.

The plushie hadn't been expecting these questions. " _Uhhh… I'm your imaginary friend, don't you remember?"_ The voice said unconvincingly to her.

Katrina wasn't fooled. Now that she listened carefully to the soft echoing voice, she heard it before. And that was when she finally realized it. "You're the Puppet!" Katrina cried. "I don't believe it! It was you all along! You're the one who's been talking to me inside my dreams. I can't believe I didn't see it sooner." Now Katrina turned away in disgust and folded her arms over her chest. She felt like an idiot.

" _Katrina, please. Don't be this way_." The Puppet tried to explain. " _You're right. I was in your dreams,_ " the Puppet admitted. _"But I was only trying to help you come to terms with the truth. You've repressed so many horrible memories. It wasn't healthy. So I wanted to talk you through it…_ "

"You've been manipulating me!" Katrina accused. "This whole time you've been going into my dreams and invading my privacy. I don't like that!" Then Katrina looked over her shoulder to flash the plushie an angrier look. "And you've been using me to get to Freddy, haven't you? You knew he's always wanted to fall for a girl. That's the real reason why you brought us together."

Katrina became annoyed when the Puppet had the gall to laugh at her. " _You're very clever for your age. Yes, I'm afraid you're right. Ever since the Butcher Night Incident, Freddy was grief-stricken when he couldn't save those kids. I wanted to help him be strong again. What better solution than a pretty girl?_ " The Puppet gave Katrina a sly twinkle in its eye. So that would explain everything.

Now the Puppet turned serious. " _But this isn't about me. Freddy was heart-broken when you left. And he's worst than ever… You're the only one who can heal him. Come back Katrina. Come back to the restaurant… Come back to Freddy._ "

But Katrina stood right where she was and sadly shook her head. "I told you. I can't…I'm afraid." The more she thought about it, the more upsetting it became. "I'm afraid of Freddy," she confessed.

" _Why are you afraid of Freddy?_ The Puppet asked her gently. _Tell me what's wrong and I'll try to help you."_ Katrina said nothing, and the Puppet continued. _"You know Freddy cares about you and would never hurt you. He didn't mean it, Katrina. He only wanted to protect you. Mr. Atkins was going to do a bad thing, what else could Freddy do but to prevent it?_ " Katrina was still silent, but the Puppet didn't give up. " _Just what is it that you're afraid of? What's holding you back? Answer me, Katrina. Help me understand…_ "

"You don't understand." Katrina whispered tearfully. When she turned around to face the plushie, the Puppet saw that she had been crying. "I'm not afraid of Freddy… The truth is I was afraid I was going to lose him…," Katrina reached up and wiped away the tears from her eyes before finally deciding to tell the Puppet the truth. "I'll never forget that horrible look on Freddy's face when he attacked Mr. Atkins in a blind rage. He acted like some kind of wild animal. I tried to stop him but it's like I wasn't even in the room. I got scared because I thought the Freddy I knew was gone!"

The Puppet allowed Katrina the chance to explain herself before speaking again. " _But you didn't lose Freddy. Haven't you realized it yet?_ " The Puppet told her comfortingly. Katrina looked up at the plushie with tears in her eyes. " _Freddy is no monster. Do you want to know what he did? He spared Mr. Atkins' life. And then he tried looking for you because he felt so bad about what he did. He's still the Freddy you know and love, Katrina._ "

Katrina went over and sat down on her bed when she realized she'd made a mistake. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the Puppet was right. Looking back on it now, Freddy had only backed off when she screamed his real name. Freddy had a choice between finishing off Mr. Atkins or protecting her. In her heart, she knew what Freddy had chosen. And yet she still ran away and abandoned him. She was the one who caused all these problems. This only made Katrina burst into more tears when she thought of the heartbreak she's caused poor Freddy. She buried her face into her hands and truly felt ashamed of herself.

" _Don't cry, Katrina,"_ Puppet said soothingly. _"It was only a misunderstanding. You can still make this right. Come back to the restaurant and see Freddy. He misses you. Freddy is in trouble. He's stopped working and refuses to move. If you come back to see him, your presence will be enough to reinvigorate him. You can bring him back to life, Katrina._ "

"But I can't…," Katrina said guiltily. She couldn't stop crying. "I left Freddy… I just left him with no explanation. I hurt him so badly. I was nothing but a coward. What if Freddy doesn't want to see me? What if he's angry?"

" _Come now, Katrina. You know Freddy better than that. He could never be angry at you,"_ the Puppet reassured her. _"Freddy needs you. I know you still care about him. We all miss you here at the pizzeria. Please come back and help Freddy. That'll way you two can finally make-up. Think about it…_ "

And just like that… the glowing eyes of Freddy Fazbear doll fainted out and the Puppet's voice disappeared with it. Katrina stared at the teddy bear but it looked so ordinary now. She wondered if she'd been dreaming this whole time. But she felt awake. Sighing, Katrina went over to her window to gaze outside at the dark-purple night sky filled with dark clouds and dotted with stars. Freddy missed her…he was suffering from a broken-heart. What should she do? As she absent-mindedly leaned her elbow on the ledge, she almost knocked over a vase.

Katrina caught the vase just in time before it could fall, and then she saw that it was the vase she put the white lily in. The flower Freddy had given to her as a gift. Holding the white lily delicately in her hands and smelling its lovely fragrance, she remembered how loving and kind Freddy had been. She couldn't forget how happy Freddy had made her, how he had pulled her out of her depression, how he been there for her whenever she needed him. Katrina didn't need to think about it any longer, because she realized she's already made her decision.

"Freddy…I'm coming. Please wait for me…" Katrina whispered to herself as she changed out of her pajamas and put on a fresh pair of clothes. She had to hurry. Freddy needed her so she wanted to rush to his side as quickly as she could. This time it was her turn to be there for him.

Thankfully it didn't rain tonight. Katrina was able to safely make her way through the neighborhood and she didn't stop until the building of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza came into view. Just like she always did, Katrina hurried around the building until she found the window left open for her. Climbing through the window, she entered through the girls' bathroom like usual. She hoped she wasn't too late. When she hurried for the door and opened it, to her surprise she saw none other than the Puppet standing there and waiting for her.

" _Glad you could make it, Katrina. You've arrived with perfect timing._ " The Puppet held out its clawed-hand to her and Katrina took it. As Katrina looked around the dark and empty restaurant, she realized how much she missed coming back here.

"Katrina!" Bonnie, Chica, Foxy and Golden all came running and were overjoyed to see that Katrina Marlowe had finally come back. The three animatronics surrounded her, talking excitedly all at once, hugging her and welcoming her back. As Katrina embraced each and every one of them, she felt like she was part of a family again. She missed all of them, but there was one person she really wanted to see above all…

"It's so good to see you again, Katrina," Bonnie was saying happily. "Don't worry about the stuff you've accidentally left here. We've been keeping it in a safe place for you."

"Thank you everyone. I'm really sorry…about before." Now Katrina turned to the Puppet who nodded its head to her. "Take me to Freddy," she said to the Puppet with a smile. "I want to see him."

Without further ado, the Puppet led Katrina down the hallway with Bonnie, Chica, Foxy and Golden following close behind. They've reached the parts & service room where the Puppet opened the door and gestured for Katrina to go ahead inside. When she went in, Katrina saw the most saddest sight ever. She hadn't been prepared for this that she covered her mouth and felt her eyes water with tears. Freddy Fazbear was lying lifelessly on top of the big table in the center. One look at him and Katrina immediately knew something was wrong. Freddy didn't move, didn't react to her arrival. In fact, he laid there like a corpse…

"Freddy…," Katrina whispered. She approached the table with her eyes on him. She hoped if he heard her voice he'd wake up. But the animatronic bear lay still as a statue. "Freddy, it's me. It's Katrina. I'm here now…" When she touched Freddy's hand, she was shocked to feel how cold he was. It was almost like he was really dead. "Freddy, can you hear me? It's me! I'm back!"

It was no use. No matter what Katrina did, she couldn't get Freddy to wake up. Bonnie, Chica, Foxy and Golden watched in dejection as Katrina became more upset. She tried shaking Freddy awake, tried looking for an on-switch, but nothing she did made any difference. Looking into Freddy's face, she saw his robotic eyes firmly closed, and his expression appeared neutral. He looked like he was asleep yet Katrina couldn't get him to wake up. Was it possible that he was…? With tears in her eyes, Katrina turned back to the Puppet in desperation.

"What's happening here?" Katrina demanded. "You said if I came back, Freddy would get better! You said I could wake him! But he's not waking up! Me being here didn't help! Freddy is still sleeping!" Katrina didn't mean to shout at the Puppet like that, but she was starting to lose her composure.

For the first time ever, the Puppet looked to be just as lost as Katrina. It looked helplessly at the lifeless Freddy and looked at a total loss on what to do next. " _I…I don't understand. I thought for sure having you here would bring him back. How could I have been wrong? I…I don't know what's going on here,"_ the Puppet said weakly.

"Whaddya mean ye don' know what's goin' on ere"?" Foxy also hollered at the Puppet. "Yer the one who said if Katrina returned, Freddy would be right as rain again. Yer the one who said it! And now yer sayin' you don' know what be goin' on ere'? What's wrong wit' Freddy!"

The Puppet sadly couldn't answer Foxy, and Bonnie stepped forward and placed a hand on Foxy's shoulder to calm him. "Come on Foxy; don't take it out on the Puppet," Bonnie said soothingly. "The Puppet made an honest mistake. It thought that bringing Katrina here would help bring Freddy around. We just have to come up with another solution."

"But what's going to happen now?" Chica asked quietly. "What if Freddy never wakes up? What's going to happen to the restaurant? What's going to happen to us?" Despite her worries, Chica was more concerned for Katrina who looked so emotionally-overwhelmed.

Katrina looked at all of them and that was when the harsh reality hit her hard. "Y-You mean… I can't help Freddy? There's nothing any of us can do?" She felt her heart constrict and her legs go wobbly. She tried holding it together but instead seemed to fall apart. "There has to be something I can do. Anything!" She turned frantically to the Puppet. "What's wrong with Freddy? What do you think it could be?"

Hoping to do something useful, the Puppet floated over to Freddy Fazbear and not for the first time, began examining every inch of him. Everyone silently watched as the Puppet tried to detect signs of life inside Freddy. But the animatronic bear felt cold and lifeless to the touch. The soul of the ghost child seemed to have disappeared. It was an unsettling thought. What happened to the ghost of Bernard Walcott? And then there was only one explanation for it. Finally the Puppet looked away from Freddy, and Katrina saw the pitiful expression on the Puppet's painted face.

" _There is...one possibility of what happened to…to Freddy,"_ the Puppet spoke in a grave trembling voice. " _His soul appears to have vanished. I can't sense any life in him. Because of this, I believe that the ghost of Bernard Walcott…might have moved on to the afterlife…_ "

"No! No, you're wrong!" Chica cried.

"But that can't be!" Bonnie said flabbergasted.

"Grrrr…dat can' be righ!" Foxy said, fighting back tears.

However Katrina and Golden were far too agonized to speak. Especially Katrina who refused to believe that the ghost boy from her dreams was forever gone. No…that couldn't be right. Yet the Puppet hung its head and wouldn't look any of them in the face. " _I am so sorry. I don't know how but… Bernard Walcott's soul isn't here anymore._ "

"NO! Stop saying that! I won't believe it!" Katrina cried. Now she went back over to the table and again tried with all her might to get Freddy to wake up. "Freddy! Freddy! You can't be gone! You're just sleeping! You need to wake up right now! Get up!" Ignoring the others, Katrina focused on Freddy.

"Please Freddy! I'm here now! I came back for you! So you have to get up!" Katrina kept shaking Freddy over and over, aware that tears were pouring down her cheeks and the others watched her morosely. "It's not fair! I can't lose you! Not like this! This wasn't supposed to happen. You can't leave me… you can't…"

It became too much that finally Katrina broke down and wept over Freddy Fazbear's animatronic body. Her heart-wrenching sobs were unbearable, that to everyone's surprise, it was Golden Freddy who stepped forward and coaxingly took Katrina into his arms to comfort her. Nobody said anything as Katrina continued to sob uncontrollably in Golden's arms. Chica wiped away her own tears with her bib, Bonnie reached for Chica's hand and held it tightly as tears dripped from his eye-sockets, and the Puppet compassionately patted Foxy on the back who had retreated to a corner to cry in private.

After that, there was nothing left to do but to leave Katrina Marlowe in the parts & service room. She insisted on staying in there with Freddy in case he might wake up by a miracle. Golden Freddy decided to stay and guard both Katrina and Freddy. Now this only left the Puppet, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy to wonder what to do now. With their fearless leader gone, what would become of them? Freddy Fazbear was the mascot and without him…would the pizzeria even stay open?

"So what'll we do now, wee lil' puppet?" Foxy said gruffly. "We be dead in the water, aren't we? Wit' the Cap'n gone, those cheap landlubbers will probably jus' replace em'!" Despite the pirate fox's surliness, they all knew Foxy was more worried than he was letting on.

Bonnie looked troubled about something and also turned to the Puppet. "It just doesn't make any sense. How could Freddy's soul disappear like that? Are you sure he's crossed over to the afterlife? I still can't believe that his soul is really gone."

"Bonnie's right," Chica agreed. "Freddy would never leave us behind like that. He cares about all of us. I don't know what happened to his soul, but I refuse to believe that he would leave us all like that. It's not like him at all!"

The Puppet had been rubbing its chin thoughtfully and listening to the other animatronics' opinions. Then it looked over at the parts & service room and sighed. " _Hmmm… I can't explain Freddy's lost soul. Is it possible that he's wandering around here? I'll try to figure this out but I want you three to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. My gut's telling me that there may be something "else" going on here._ "

"What gut? Yer so skinny ye could wear fruit-loops fer a skirt!" Foxy cracked, eyeing the Puppet's very thin waist. Nevertheless, the pirate fox sworn to himself that he would do whatever he could to help out Freddy Fazbear.

From the shadows, Shadow Freddy watched the three animatronics and the little Puppet. The Puppet was starting to get suspicious, he could see that now. He successfully got Freddy Fazbear out of the way, but there were other obstacles that might try to interfere. One way or another, he had to eliminate these threats and he would start with the Puppet… He had plenty of time. Shadow kept a close watch on the Puppet and plotted on the best way to get rid of the marionette.

Katrina didn't know how long she stayed in the parts & service room, she lost track of time. But she vowed to never leave Freddy's side, not even for a second. If he did wake up, she wanted to be the first thing he saw. Wanting to be closer to him, Katrina climbed up onto the table so that she could lift Freddy's heavy head and gently lay it on her lap. And then she began to pray, to hope, to wish… She didn't want to believe that Freddy was gone. In her heart, she knew that Freddy's soul was still here.

"Sniff…it's okay, Freddy. I'm still here. I won't leave you this time," Katrina whispered softly into Freddy's wiggling bear-ear. "I promise I'm going to be here when you wake up. I don't care what the Puppet says. I know you would never leave me. In fact, it feels like you're still with me."

She looked closely at Freddy's face but saw no sign of life. Freddy's eyes remained closed and he felt so cold. Katrina found it strange, Freddy was usually warm. The beloved mascot bear who had once been so lively, charismatic and strong, now laid here weak and feeble-looking. It broke her heart to see him like this. But it tore her up inside to know that he was like this because of her. These thoughts did nothing but make her feel worse than ever. Katrina didn't realize she was crying again until she saw a teardrop fall down onto Freddy's cheek.

"Oh Freddy…I never meant for this to happen," Katrina said to him. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I wish I could go back and do things differently…but I can't. I feel like it's all my fault that you're like this. I really want to help you but I don't know how. Please give me a sign, Freddy. How can I help? Tell me!"

There was no answer. Freddy Fazbear laid stock-still and didn't make even the slightest movement. It was like he was dead… Katrina furiously shook her head and became more distraught. "You can't really be gone! I don't want to lose you, Freddy. You mean everything to me! You have to wake up so I can tell you… Tell you that I…I…" Katrina wiped at her teary eyes and felt too tired to continue.

Now Katrina lowered her head to rest on top of Freddy's chest. She hoped she was close to his heart. She'd give anything to hear his voice again. "I did this to you," she said glumly. "I never meant to break your heart…I hope you can forgive me." Katrina closed her eyes. "No matter what happens…I forgive you, Freddy. I just want you to come back."

The parts & service door was open a crack, and Chica stood there secretly watching Katrina and Freddy through the doorway. Listening to Katrina's heartfelt words and seeing the way she stood by Freddy's side, caused Chica to burst into tears again and silently weep. Then she felt gentle arms around her shoulders that moved her away from the door and guide her back to the Dining Area. She already knew it was Bonnie. There Bonnie went over to gather some napkins and then proceeded to help wipe away the tears from Chica's amethyst-colored eyes.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to spy on them," Chica said between tears. "I just…it's so sad. I really thought Katrina could help Freddy. She's taking it the hardest that Freddy is gone."

"It's alright. I think we're all a little blue right now," Bonnie said understandably. His big hand moved to caress the tears from Chica's face while smiling warmly. "Hang in there, Chica. I'm sure the Puppet will come up with the solution. We just have to hope that things get better."

Bonnie sounded so confident about the situation that Chica felt a lot better to know that at least someone was keeping a positive attitude around here. And in return, Chica decided that she needed to be strong too. Chica quickly stopped crying and reached out to take Bonnie's hand and held it for support. This time Bonnie didn't feel any of his old insecurities and felt surer of himself than he's ever been. He was feeling braver; he would have made Freddy so proud. But for now, he wanted to be here for Chica and the other animatronics.

Down by the Prize Corner, the Puppet sat on top of its music box while listening to the calming tunes of My Grandfather's Clock. The Puppet had been feeling stumped for over an hour and was trying to figure out what could possibly have happened to Freddy Fazbear. It didn't want to believe that the ghost of Bernard Walcott had moved on. No…something else was going on here. The more Puppet thought about it, that was when it remembered something from before. That foreboding feeling…the sense that something evil was lurking around. There was only one person who gave the Puppet that scary vibe and it was… Suddenly the Puppet sensed "him" coming.

This was his chance…Time to get rid of the Puppet once and for all. From the darkness itself, Shadow Freddy lunged out from the blackness and easily caught the Puppet with its paw before it had a chance to dodge him. Gripping the marionette by its skinny neck, Puppet furiously slashed its clawed-hands at Shadow's face with its ghostly pinprick eyes glowing dangerously. Shadow had to do this quickly before the Puppet summoned enough spiritual energy to fight back.

" _ **The light won't be able to save you from where you're going…**_ " Shadow taunted. With that, Shadow Freddy cast the entire Prize Corner into pitch blackness and quietly subdued the Puppet.

At the parts & service room, Golden's ghostly eyes lit up in alarm at once. He had been guarding Freddy and Katrina, but now he detected that something was wrong. And then he realized it… It was the Puppet…he could no longer feel the Puppet's spiritual presence. This has never happened before. There Golden instantly teleported from the parts & service room and hurried as fast as he could to the Prize Corner. Upon arriving into the room, Golden took one look over at the corner and gasped.

"Puppet? Puppet! Where are you? Puppet!" The Puppet was gone and so was its music box. Golden urgently looked all around the room, but there was no sign of Puppet. He couldn't even communicate telepathically with the highly-spirited marionette. Somebody had taken the Puppet. Golden didn't stop looking as he exited the Prize Corner and realized that something bad was happening.

His path was clear. There was no one left to stop him. Shadow Freddy cleverly hidden the Puppet, the other animatronics wouldn't be able to get in his way, not even the golden bear. It was time to claim his victim at long last. Cackling eagerly to himself, Shadow Freddy strolled unchallenged into the parts & service room. Creating a barrier of pure darkness to keep the others out. This time he was more powerful than before…and this time…he would take a soul for himself.


	26. Deal with the Devil

**Sorry this update took so long. I've been distracted so many vacations, outings, family-gatherings, you know how it is. It's been a busy summer. Anyway, I'm glad I got the time to do this. The story is about to get good and it'll keep you all on the edge of your seats! Have fun reading, FNAF readers!**

* * *

In the parts & service room, Katrina wondered what was going on out there. She remembered seeing Golden Freddy looking worried and disappearing off somewhere. Now she was here alone with Freddy. At first Katrina thought maybe it was nothing, but then strange things began to happen. The temperature in the room seemed to drop, it got colder and colder that Katrina was shivering. What was going on? The ceiling-lights suddenly flickered off, plunging the room into total darkness. She couldn't see a thing and she knew that something wasn't right. Katrina didn't want to leave Freddy but she had to figure out what was happening. Now she hopped off the table and headed straight for the door.

To her dismay, the door was unexplainably stuck and she couldn't get it to open. "What the? Hello? Is somebody out there? The door's stuck! I can't get it to open!" She tried banging on the door, but no one came. How could the other animatronics not hear her?

From behind Katrina came an all too familiar bone-chilling voice from the darkness. " _ **Don't bother… Nobody can hear you scream. This room is completely sealed in darkness. The other animatronics won't be able to find you.**_ "

Katrina spun around and saw in horror Shadow Freddy standing there right next to the table where Freddy laid lifeless on. She should have known…This was not good. Katrina pressed herself against the door fearfully as Shadow took a step forward. Only his phantom-white eyes and gleaming grin lit up the room. She was trapped in here and Shadow knew it. But Katrina's biggest concern was Freddy Fazbear who wouldn't be able to defend himself. Forgetting about the door, Katrina hurried over to Freddy and threw her arms around his head protectively and wanted to try to shield him from Shadow Freddy.

" _ **You and I haven't seen each other in a while**_ ," Shadow was saying with his luminous eyes on Katrina. " _ **This time…no one can help you. Not the Puppet, not the golden bear…**_ ," Shadow grinned maliciously down at the mascot bear. " _ **Not even Freddy…"**_

"What do you want?" Katrina asked. She didn't realize how dire her situation was until now. Shadow Freddy had been busy… He made sure the others couldn't get to them. And now it was up to her to stop Shadow Freddy if she had to.

Now Shadow Freddy turned his attention onto Freddy and Katrina didn't like the hungry look in his predatory eyes. " _ **Isn't it obvious?**_ " he chuckled darkly. " _ **Freddy Fazbear is very weak. There's no life left in him. His shattered soul is irreparable. And it's all thanks to you, Katrina.**_ " Shadow smiled at Katrina's horrified expression. " _ **You broke him, Katrina. Made him vulnerable. And now Freddy's soul is dangerously close to vanishing forever…**_ "

"What are you saying?" Katrina cried. She didn't let Freddy go. With tears in her eyes, she knew it was her fault. Why did she have to run away from Freddy like that? Why did Mr. Atkins have to break into the restaurant? How could all of this have happened?

Shadow Freddy took a step toward the table with his eyes staring greedily at Freddy's lifeless body. " _ **What I'm saying is that I can help. I can help Freddy,**_ " Shadow lied. " _ **His soul is delicate, but perhaps I can heal him. Isn't that what you want, Katrina? Do you want Freddy to come back? I can make it happen.**_ " Now Shadow grinned down at Katrina who stubbornly stood blocking him from Freddy.

Katrina found herself secretly tempted by this unexpected offer from the black bear. But no…she couldn't trust Shadow Freddy, could she? Shadow saw her doubt and wanted to convince her. " _ **Think about it. Freddy means everything to you, right? Do you want to help him? There is a way to bring him back.**_ " Shadow saw that Katrina was listening and continued. " _ **Well Katrina? Will you accept my offer? All you have to do…is trust me.**_ "

She knew she shouldn't…but she was desperate. Now Katrina gazed sadly down at Freddy Fazbear who laid fragile and unmoving in her arms. She was guilt-ridden whenever she thought about all the hurt and suffering he went through alone. Freddy didn't deserve that. She loved him… She'd do anything for him. Katrina looked back up at Shadow Freddy who patiently waited for her answer. She still didn't trust him but if this was the only way she could save Freddy, Katrina was more than willing to do it.

With a sigh of defeat, Katrina made her decision. "Okay… You promise you'll help Freddy?" she asked the shadowy bear. "You really will help him if I say yes?"

" _ **Of course…**_ ," Shadow promised. " _ **But unfortunately my help comes at a price…**_ " he said so suddenly that Katrina was taken aback. " _ **I will help Freddy but only on one condition…**_ " Now Shadow Freddy eyed Katrina with a covetous grin. " _ **I get to keep you, Katrina. Surrender yourself to me and in return I'll bring Freddy back to life. Will you do this?**_ "

"What? No! I…I can't…," Katrina protested at once. She should have known there was a catch. It was too good to be true. But every time she looked down into Freddy's stiff face, it only reminded her that Freddy's life might depend on it. Katrina helplessly wondered what to do. This wasn't easy…

And Shadow took full advantage of her feelings for Freddy. " _ **Think about it, Katrina. If you don't help Freddy, you know what will happen? They'll get rid of him. They'll turn Freddy into scraps. After that, Freddy will be beyond help. Whatever life was inside him will be gone forever. And soon the other animatronics will suffer the same fate. Is that what you really want, Katrina? Haven't you done enough damage already?**_ "

Katrina didn't know what to do or what to say. She didn't want to admit it, but Shadow Freddy was right. If she didn't do something to help, things would only get worse for Freddy and the gang. She didn't want to be responsible for any more bad stuff happening. But on the other hand, Katrina couldn't go with Shadow either. What would Shadow Freddy do with her once he had her? She had to make a choice. Either it was her or Freddy… Then Katrina remembered what Freddy had once told her from before. _I would give my soul without hesitation if I thought it was going to save your life._ Remembering those touching words strengthen Katrina's resolve.

" _ **Ah well… Perhaps you're refusing my offer,**_ " Shadow Freddy said coldly. " _ **In that case, I won't help Freddy.**_ " Then Shadow's eyes glinted wickedly. " _ **Maybe I'll just take his soul for myself instead. Step aside, Katrina…**_ "

"No don't!" Katrina cried. She quickly blocked Freddy from the devious black bear. "I'll accept your offer. But you have to swear that you're going to heal Freddy when I do," she said, sternly pointing a finger up at the shadowy bear. "I won't go with you unless you help Freddy. You really will do it?"

" _ **Yes…You have my word. It looks like we have a deal…**_ ," With that, Shadow held out his clawed paw to her and grinned sweetly. " _ **Take my hand, Katrina. And the deal will be sealed.**_ "

Katrina stared apprehensively at the dark paw being offered to her. She was afraid but she had to do it. "Give me a minute," she said sadly. Now she ran her hand tenderly over Freddy's face and felt more tears in her eyes. Then Katrina reached behind her neck and took off her heart locket and placed it into Freddy's unmoving hand. She wondered if she would be alive after this… "This is for you, Freddy."

With that, Katrina turned away and willingly stepped up to Shadow Freddy who still held out his hand for her. " _ **Take my hand, Katrina. Follow me…**_ " Shadow purred seductively. Katrina reached out and took the black bear's hand. And realized too late that she had made a fatal mistake…

* * *

Meanwhile, Foxy had been feeling restless for hours. When pacing back and forth in the Pirate Cove didn't help calm his nerves, now the pirate fox started wandering the halls with no destination in mind. It was so frustrating that he couldn't do anything to help Freddy. Foxy was all about action and he wanted to be doing something useful. Instead of just stewing around like this. As Foxy was walking around the corner, something big knocked right into him. He stumbled a bit and looked up to see that it was Golden Freddy and he was in a big rush.

"Ey! What gives, Golden? Ye think jus' because yer a big golden lug, ye can throw yer weight around?" Foxy grumbled irritably. But then Foxy quickly saw that Golden was panicking and was frantically searching around for something. "Eh? What's goin' on? Ye lose somethin?"

Golden didn't notice Foxy at first, but turned to him with desperation. "The Puppet's gone! I can't find Puppet anywhere! And the Puppet's music box is gone too!" he cried.

"Wha?" Foxy said, his jaw dropping in shock. "Now yer tellin' me the wee Puppet has gone missing? Arrgh! Tis one thing after another round' here! I'd best go get Bonnie and Chica. No worries, Golden. We'll locate the lost wee puppet!"

Soon Golden, Foxy, Bonnie and Chica were all searching around the restaurant for Puppet who had suddenly disappeared. The problem was, they couldn't locate the Puppet anywhere. By now, they knew that something was very wrong. First Freddy Fazbear and now the Puppet? This was not good. The animatronics were more upset than ever. It felt like some evil force was taking away their friends one by one… And no matter where they looked in the pizzeria, they couldn't find the Puppet anywhere.

"This doesn't make any sense. How could the Puppet disappear?" Chica wondered as she and the other animatronics gathered at the Dining Area for an emergency meeting.

"Yea… The Puppet may be thin but tis a tough fighter," Foxy remarked. "It would have taken a pretty tough rogue ter take down the wee Puppet." Foxy saw the others looking at him and they were all probably thinking the same thing he was. "Ye mean? Ye think the wee Puppet was kidnapped?"

"Well what other explanation is there?" Bonnie pointed out. "The Puppet was trying to find a way to help Freddy. Do you think that might have something to do with it?" And then Bonnie noticed that Golden was looking very uneasy about something. "Golden? What is it? What's wrong?"

"I remember…seeing…something odd earlier today," Golden said slowly. "It happened near the Show Stage. I was invisible and watching some little kids play hide-n-seek. But when I looked up at the stage, I noticed that Freddy appeared…to be…arguing with someone. I didn't see anyone but…Freddy looked very angry. The next thing I know, Freddy is collapsing from the Show Stage."

"Are ye sayin' dat somebody attacked the cap'n?" Now Foxy walked over to the Show Stage and took a look around it. But he didn't see anything strange. "I don' see anything. Unless…" Foxy had a sudden suspicious thought. He turned to look back at his friends and saw they were thinking the exact same thing he was thinking.

"Whoever it was...was invisible too," Bonnie quickly caught on. And then he was filled with dread. "And the only other person who can turn invisible is…" That was when they finally put it together. They all realized that there was indeed an enemy hidden among their midst. It could be only one person…

"Shadow Freddy!" Golden cried. "Freddy and Katrina! I've left them alone while searching for the Puppet!" With that, the golden bear turned and hurried away. Soon the others all followed him.

Upon reaching the parts & service room, the animatronics immediately sensed danger. For starters, when Golden reached for the doorknob, the door was firmly sealed shut and wouldn't open at all. There was no lock on this door. Not only that, Golden was unable to go through the walls or teleport inside the room. He could feel the icy-cold presence of Shadow Freddy. With an angry growl, Golden furiously began slamming his big body against the locked door and wanted to get in there. Freddy and Katrina were trapped in there with that sinister shadow. But Shadow's barrier was keeping him out. Shadow Freddy had gotten better at counteracting Golden Freddy's ghostly abilities.

Chica grabbed Golden by the shoulder and tried to stop him from beating at the door. "Golden, don't! You'll hurt yourself! There's no way to open the door!"

"Then how else are we gonna bust in there?" Foxy said impatiently. He angrily began banging his hook on the door. "Hey ye loathsome shadow! Ye better not hurt Freddy or Katrina in there! Or I'll kick tis door down and throttle ye meself!"

Now Bonnie had to step forward and yank Foxy from ramming at the door. "This isn't helping. None of us are going to be able to force the door open. There's got to be another way. Until then, Shadow is only going to continue to keep us out."

After staring worriedly at the sealed door, Golden suddenly turned away and knew that he had to take charge of the situation. With Freddy gone, he had to step into his footsteps and lead the others. "Listen up everyone," Golden announced. "The Puppet is the only one who isn't an animatronic. That's why it's hard for Shadow to bamboozle Puppet. We have to find Puppet and fast."

"He's right. Our scanners can't pick up Shadow Freddy in the restaurant. But the Puppet isn't effected," Bonnie explained to the others. "In other words, that's why the Puppet can easily get by Shadow's barrier. It doesn't have a program to be messed with."

"Maybe it was Shadow Freddy who took Puppet!" Chica said. "It makes sense! He knew Puppet might try to stop him and so that's why he took the Puppet away!"

"Well wha' are we standin' round' ere' fer? Let's get out there and find Puppet!" Foxy shouted. "We ain't got a minute ter lose! Come on mateys!" Foxy charged ahead with Bonnie, Chica and Golden right behind him. The four animatronics resumed their search for the kidnapped marionette.

* * *

 _It was so cold here. He couldn't feel anything, he couldn't move. Was he dead? This world…so dark and devoid of life. Was this hell? He'd done many bad things; maybe that's what got him here. No…he wasn't dead. But it was so dark; he couldn't speak, couldn't move, and couldn't see. It was like he'd been robbed of his five senses. But wait…he could still feel things. And he felt her… She was here with him. He wished he could open his eyes and see her. Suddenly he felt "him" here too. He was going to take her away! Why couldn't he wake up? She needed him! She needed him!_

* * *

Golden Freddy had been busily looking around the kitchen, looking underneath shelves and through cupboards in the hopes of locating the oversized music box. But something else ended up distracting him. It was a faint feeling at first, but then Golden had no trouble identifying the feeling. In the distance, he could sense Shadow Freddy's dark presence and it was…on the move? Perplexed by this, Golden quickly left the kitchen and headed back to the parts & service room. Once he arrived there, he was in for a big surprise…

"Hey guys! Come quick! You've got to see this!" Golden loudly called out to the others.

In no time at all, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy came running over in time to see that the parts & service door was suddenly left wide open. Shadow Freddy was gone and Golden couldn't detect him anywhere. They wasted no time rushing into the room and to their relief found Freddy Fazbear still safe and sound on top of the table. However Katrina Marlowe was gone… Golden approached the table and took notice of Katrina's heart locket placed in Freddy's open palm. That wasn't a good sign.

"Katrina! Katrina!" Chica started calling out to the lost girl. She went so far as to search all around the room, but Katrina was gone. Now feeling really concerned, she turned to face the others. "Now Katrina is gone! You know what; I think Shadow Freddy took her too!"

"Grrrr…Dat Shadow Freddy is dead-meat!" Foxy gritted his sharp teeth in outrage. "Forget the Puppet… I'm gonna hunt down dat low-down scurvy-dog and make em' pay! He won' get away with tis!" Before anyone could stop him, Foxy sprinted out of the room and was already dashing off on his own.

"Foxy! Hold up!" Bonnie called after him, and then sighed in resignation. "There's no reasoning with him when he gets like this…" Now Bonnie turned to Golden and Chica. "This isn't good. Shadow has taken Katrina. We need to hurry."

"I'll go with Foxy and see if we can locate where Shadow Freddy is. Shadow's definitely hiding somewhere in this restaurant. You two keep looking for Puppet," Golden instructed both the animatronic bunny and chick.

Chica glanced gloomily over at the sad-looking animatronic bear, laid out on the table like a corpse. "But…but what about Freddy? We can't just…leave him like this," Chica said unhappily.

Golden also gazed sympathetically over at the brown bear who was once a strong-willed leader. "I know, Chica. But Freddy will be okay here in the parts & service room. We'll still try to find a way to help him. Right now, we need to find Shadow Freddy and get Katrina back from him," Golden assured Chica. With that, the three animatronics exited the parts & service room, leaving Freddy Fazbear behind.

Somewhere in the restaurant…The Puppet was furiously pounding its fists up at the roof of its music box. No matter how hard it tried, it couldn't pop open the lid. Shadow Freddy must have put something heavy on top to prevent escape. This was terrific… It should have known Shadow was behind all this. The Puppet could have kicked itself for not figuring it out sooner. The others were in danger… And here the Puppet was trapped inside its own music box. It had to get out of here before Shadow Freddy did any more serious mischief.

" _I swear, once I get out of here, I'll kill Shadow Freddy myself!_ " The Puppet grumbled in annoyance. It continued trying to force the music box open. The other animatronics must have discovered by now that it was gone. There had to be a way to get their attention…

Back at the parts & service room, little did any of them know…Freddy's hand started twitching on and off. He was growing stronger again. Whatever curse Shadow Freddy inflicted on him was growing weak. But that wasn't what was giving him strength. In his right paw, Freddy held Katrina's heart-locket. She was here…She came back despite everything. Shadow Freddy took her away… Katrina was in danger. He could feel everything coming back to him. The darkness was disappearing and his main motivation was Katrina Marlowe. Shadow was going to kill her…Freddy couldn't let it happen. He would stop it. Because he loved Katrina… He wanted Katrina back. She belonged to him.

It happened… Freddy's hand moved and clutched the heart locket tightly in his paw and felt himself come back to life. "Katrina…," Freddy's blue eyes shot open.


	27. Banish the shadows once and for all

**The third and final conclusion of Shadow Freddy's reign of terror. Sorry it took long. But I hope the chapter was totally worth the wait. Enjoy!**

* * *

This world was so cold and dark. The cold air seemed to freeze her entire body that she couldn't feel it anymore. But what else did Katrina expect after selling her soul to Shadow Freddy? She didn't know how she got to this world, but it would be her new home. This shadowy void that was created from her own personal nightmare, filled with nothing but guilt, misery, fear, sadness, and pain. Here the shadows seemed to come to life and welcomed her…as if they've always known she was meant to belong here. In a world where she could never be happy ever again.

Katrina hugged herself and tried to keep the cold from paralyzing her fully. That was when she realized she was dressed in a long black dress that stretched to the floor. She couldn't remember changing into it. But then she looked up in fear as Shadow Freddy appeared to her… Did Shadow Freddy bring her here? What was going to happen to her now? Katrina watched nervously as Shadow reached out his dark paw and gently ran his claws through her long honey-brown hair. He enjoyed making her afraid. Striking fear into the hearts of his victims was what made Shadow Freddy powerful… And now he grinned triumphantly down at his most lovely prize yet.

" _ **Do you like the dress I gave you? It's a gift**_ ," Shadow said, moving his hand to cup Katrina's cheek. " _ **You look nicer in black.**_ " With a defiant frown, Katrina pushed Shadow's paw away from her face. " _ **I see… You're still mad at me**_ ," Shadow observed. " _ **It doesn't have to be this way, Katrina. I can still make you happy. I'll give you anything you'd like. This world borders between the real world and the shadowy world. Only shadows can exist here…**_ "

"Am I dead?" Katrina dared to ask. She wanted to rip this black dress off her but was unable to. Instead she could only pray for a miracle.

Shadow Freddy studied her a moment before smiling eerily. " _ **Do you want to go on living?**_ " he asked her. " _ **There's nothing left for you in the living world anyway. Life always runs out of things to offer. But there are "other" places you can go. Do you want to go "there? I can make it happen…"**_

But Katrina turned her back on the black bear and looked unseeingly out at the black void. "I want Freddy…," she whispered sadly to herself. "I just want to see if he's okay."

" _ **Freddy is okay,**_ " Shadow lied. " _ **As promised, Freddy should be waking up soon. But don't worry about that now. All I want is you Katrina.**_ " Now Shadow Freddy set to work on achieving what he really wanted. Plucking particles of shadow from the ground, he transformed it into a black rose and gentlemanly offered it to the beautiful girl before him. " _ **Here Katrina… Won't you accept this as a token of my admiration for you?**_ "

Katrina didn't turn around and refused to accept any more gifts from the black bear. "I don't want anything from you," she snapped. She continued to give Shadow Freddy the cold shoulder.

Shadow Freddy was angered by Katrina's snubbing him, but he would be patient. It would take time to win her trust. " _ **I see… Perhaps we can just talk,**_ " Shadow offered politely. " _ **Ever since I laid eyes on you, you've carried a burden of sorrow. What's wrong, Katrina? What tragedy could possibly have made you want to give up on your life? Why do you live with such guilt?**_ "

This time Katrina did turn around and she frowned distrustfully at Shadow. How was it that the black bear could always so easily peek into her soul and know of the darkness that dwelled from within? "What do you want from me?" she asked him. "You never leave me alone and all you want to do is make me remember…," Katrina closed her eyes and looked away. "No I can't… You're an evil shadow who only brings people despair. I'm not about to tell you anything."

" _ **I understand…**_ ," Shadow sighed. He decided to play on her sympathetic nature. " _ **The truth is…I'm lonely. I'm only a shadow and all I do is exist. There's no purpose for me. I can't feel emotion. And it's for this reason that I turn to the living and hope to feel alive. What else is there for me? Freddy and the others dismiss me as a troublesome shadow, but they're the ones who fail to realize their cruelty. So I wallow in the shadows, starving for company.**_ "

As Katrina listened to Shadow Freddy lament his meaningless existence, she found herself daring to feel a little sorry for him. After all, she didn't really know what the story was with Shadow Freddy. "Gosh, I never looked at it that way before. You once told me you've been in the restaurant for a very long time. How did you come to exist anyway?" She was curious now.

Shadow Freddy's expression became grim, but he answered her question with surprising honesty. " _ **So many terrible things have happened in Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. All the bloodshed, all the sufferings, the evil thoughts, merciless nightmares, and the need for revenge. The darkness gathered together and created…me. The others hate me because I'm a reminder. I remind them of their sins, their dark deeds, their innocence forever lost. They deny the truth, but I am their truth!"**_

It was unsettling to hear, but Katrina wanted to learn more. "And what is the truth?" she wanted to know. Shadow Freddy smiled when he saw that he'd successfully piqued her interest. He would tell her more until it was ready to get her open up to him. Once he knew what Katrina's weakness was, he would own her soul forever…

* * *

(Meanwhile elsewhere…)

"This isn't getting us anywhere! We've looked all over and we still can't locate the Puppet!" Chica was saying out of frustration after she and Bonnie checked the Prize Corner for the millionth time. "Shadow is really good at hiding things. Where would he take the puppet?"

Bonnie was already out of breath from constantly looking from one room to another. Now he stood there for a moment and tried to figure it out. "Let's see… Maybe we're looking at this wrong. Think about it. Shadow Freddy knows we're animatronics, therefore we can only to go the places that we're programmed to recognize. But Shadow can darken rooms, which throws off our program and prevents us from entering a room that's part of our map." Now Bonnie began to pace back and forth while thinking hard.

"So far the rooms we've searched were perfectly well-lit and Shadow Freddy doesn't like bright lights. If he wants to hide something, it would have to be in a cleverly dark room that we're unable to detect. It's also a room we hardly ever go to…," Bonnie theorized.

And that was when Chica got the idea. She excitedly grabbed Bonnie by the arm. "I get it now! You're so brilliant, Bonnie! I think I might know where the Puppet is being kept but I'm not entirely sure. Come with me, I'll need your expertise!" Chica led Bonnie away from the Prize Corner.

* * *

(Somewhere else…)

"Ah ha! I've found dat scum! Jus' ye wait til' I bust in there! I'm gonna rough-up dat shadowy bear so badly, he'll be beggin' me ter let em' walk the plank instead!" Foxy shouted. Thanks to Golden Freddy, the two were able to locate Shadow Freddy's presence at the Boss Lounge.

Now Golden Freddy approached the door and tried the doorknob. As expected it wasn't locked, which can only mean that Shadow Freddy had sealed this room too. Unfortunately there was no way for Golden to get inside, and what disturbed him the most was that he could feel Shadow Freddy growing stronger inside the room. Katrina was in there, was she making Shadow stronger? Not good…not good at all. They were helpless out here. Their only hope was locating the Puppet and having it break down Shadow's defenses.

"Grrrr… Tis be so annoying! Katrina needs our help and we're jus' standin' ere' cooling our heels! Ain't there any way ye can sneak in there?" Foxy asked Golden. "We ain't got time ter look fer the wee Puppet! Shadow is gonna do some serious harm ter Katrina if we don' get our hides in there!"

"I'm sorry…I can't," Golden said sadly. "No matter what I try, Shadow Freddy keeps sabotaging my efforts to get in there by stealth. I…I don't know what to do now. We can only hope that Bonnie and Chica does find the Puppet in time." With that, Golden and Foxy both looked worriedly at the sealed door. They were so close and yet they couldn't get to their goal.

* * *

(Inside the Boss Lounge…)

" _ **Why do you suppress it, Katrina? Why are you in so much denial of what happened that night?**_ " Shadow Freddy was saying to her. Katrina sat crossed-legged and was watching the slithering shadows in the background. She was used to the cold because her entire body was numb and she couldn't feel anything. Was this how Shadow Freddy felt? " _ **You can't run away from it anymore. Let me help you. Talk to me, Katrina. I want to understand you. Let me in…**_ "

Katrina couldn't stop thinking about Freddy. She missed him so much. She wondered if she'd ever see him again. This only brought more tears to her eyes. Shadow Freddy saw her silently crying and had read her thoughts. " _ **Is it Freddy you want? I can bring Freddy to you**_ ," Shadow said. He reached down to tenderly brush Katrina's long hair with his sharp claws to comfort her. " _ **Do you want me bring Freddy? I can do that for you, Katrina. Anything to make you happy. Look…**_ "

And then suddenly Katrina heard Freddy's familiar warm voice. " _ **Katrina…**_ " When she turned her head around to look, she saw to her shock that it really was Freddy Fazbear standing right there. Smiling lovingly down at her with his twinkling blue eyes and jovial smile.

"Freddy?" Katrina could hardly believe it that she got to her feet and approached him with hope in her eyes. "Is it really you? Are you really here with me?"

" _ **Of course I am, Katrina. I would never leave you.**_ " Freddy held out his hand and Katrina happily took it. Gazing into her lovely face, Freddy's blue eyes glowed with a bright alluring light. Katrina couldn't look away and she stared hypnotically into them. She knew she should have been more suspicious, but suddenly her mind seemed to float away. Whatever willpower Katrina had was slowly slipping away… And Freddy smilingly pulled her in to embrace her.

" _ **I'm so happy to see you again**_ ," Freddy was saying kindly to her. " _ **Everything is going to be okay. Now we can be together always…**_ " With that, Freddy crouched down so that he could be on eye-level with Katrina. He was smiling at her and yet…there was something wrong with his smile. It looked different. But every time Katrina tried to make sense of it, her mind went blank. What was happening to her? " _ **You look sad, Katrina**_ ," Freddy noticed. " _ **I want to help you. You have to tell me the truth.**_ " His smile grew bigger and his eyes gleamed brightly. " _ **You have to tell me about your nightmares of your parents…**_ "

* * *

(Unknown location…)

 _Shadow Freddy was going to take Katrina's life…he could feel it. He had to hurry; he had to go to her. But it wasn't easy…Shadow still had a pretty strong grip on him. It was very difficult to move and it took every ounce of his strength just to walk. But he was determined…he'd already lost Katrina once; he wasn't going to lose her again. Whatever it takes, he had to reach her. But Shadow Freddy was making it so hard. His biggest fear was that he wasn't going to make it in time._

 _However the only good thing about Shadow Freddy's darkness possessing him was that it enabled him to pinpoint exactly where the shadowy bear was hiding. This was too painful that every now and then he had to stop just to rest while trying to keep Shadow Freddy from taking over his program. He would not rest until he saved Katrina's life. He couldn't bear to let another innocent kid die… So he urged himself to hurry and keep moving. Katrina's life was at stake…_

* * *

(Somewhere in a hidden place)

How utterly annoying… And yet the Puppet managed to come up with a solution on how to alert the other animatronics to its location. The Puppet only had to open the music box wide enough for Pop goes the Weasel to start playing. If the animatronics could hear it, they'd be able to locate the music box. The Puppet used all its body-strength to push the lid open as far as it would go. It had to hurry because it too could sense dark presence of Shadow Freddy… Wherever that sneaky black bear was hiding, he was growing stronger. The Puppet had to break out of it here and fast.

To its relief, pop goes the weasel immediately started playing. " _I hope the others are looking for me. Katrina is in danger. And it doesn't' help that Shadow Freddy is using his dark powers to suppress my spiritual energy. If I could just get out of this dark room…_ _"_ Suddenly the Puppet heard approaching footsteps drawing near. Somebody was coming…

Bonnie and Chica had been coming down the hallway, heading to the one place where they'd thought the puppet was being kept when out of the blue, they heard the unmistakable musical notes of Pop goes the Weasel play. They followed the familiar music and sure enough, it led them straight to where they thought Shadow Freddy was hiding the Puppet. Bonnie hurried to the storage closet and yanked open the door to see the music box with piles of neatly folded chairs resting on top of it.

"It's Puppet! Thank god we've found you! We need your help!" Chica said overjoyed. Bonnie was able to remove all the chairs and freed the Puppet from its own music box. "It's Shadow Freddy. He has Katrina! And we need you to…," Chica started to explain.

But the Puppet was already rushing past them and gliding swiftly through the halls. " _No time for that! We have to get to Shadow Freddy now. It was Katrina he was after all along! This whole thing was one big scheme! He wants to take Katrina's soul for himself!_ " Without another word, Bonnie and Chica went after the Puppet.

* * *

(The Boss lounge)

Katrina felt as if her insides were frozen and she was beginning to feel weak and sluggish. It was almost like the cold air was choking the life out of her. She was starting to have trouble breathing. And yet Freddy Fazbear stood there before her, not looking effected at all by the unsettling coldness. Something was very wrong here. She felt like she couldn't think straight anymore. Worst of all, Katrina was having difficulty breathing.

" _ **Please tell me what's wrong. Don't you know that holding it all in will only increase your suffering?**_ " Freddy urged her. " _ **Tell me the truth, Katrina. I want to know about your nightmares. If you let me know, I'll help you. You'll feel better and won't feel pain any longer.**_ " But Freddy's smile became twisted and his voice darker. " _ **All you have to do…is bare your soul to me…**_ "

"I don't know…," Katrina hesitated. She was thinking about what happened that night. The memories still burned in her mind. After all this time, she never once talked about what happened. Not to the police, not to grief counselors. Ever since the accident, she had completely shut down. Would telling the truth really set her free? "My parents died that night…," she suddenly admitted in a whisper. "And…and it was my fault."

" _ **Yes Katrina… Go on**_ ," Freddy urged her. He finally had her. Katrina Marlowe's soul would forever belong to him. She would be nothing more than another ghost haunting Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.

* * *

(Outside the Boss Lounge)

 _He was almost there… Shadow Freddy was finally going to take her soul. He couldn't let it happen. Fighting tooth and nail to keep the darkness from closing in, he arrived at the boss lounge where Katrina was being held. Golden Freddy and Foxy were standing guard there but both their eyes widened in shock at the sight of him. Ignoring them, he instead focused on getting to the room and preventing Shadow Freddy from taking a life."Hang on, Katrina. I'm coming for you. I'm still here…"_

* * *

(Boss lounge)

The world around her seemed to get darker, the shadows grew stronger, and Katrina decided that she had nothing left to lose. "I'll never forget that night… My parents and I were driving back from a school-play we just attended," Katrina started to tell Freddy.

" _ **Yes, yes. What happened next? Tell me more! I want to know everything. Leave nothing out, Katrina.**_ " Freddy rushed her impatiently.

But Katrina stared at this disturbing Freddy Fazbear and was starting to realize something. This couldn't possibly be the real Freddy Fazbear. The real Freddy would never have made her feel so cold and alone. Most of all, the real Freddy had once told her that he would never pressure her to reveal her dark secrets. This was all wrong. It was Shadow Freddy manipulating her once again. She remembered all the previous warnings about Shadow Freddy being a deceiver. Finally Katrina wised up and backed away from the imposter at once.

"You're not Freddy Fazbear," Katrina frowned accusingly at him. "This is a trick, isn't it? You've never had any intention of helping Freddy, did you? You just wanted to take me away. You've been lying this whole time!"

Shadow Freddy leered unpleasantly down at her before reverting back to his shadowy form. " _ **You can't leave, Katrina. You willingly gave me your soul, remember? You're here to stay. You belong to me.**_ "

"Not anymore! You can't keep me here against my will anymore! I'm leaving!" Katrina turned around and wanted to run away as far away from the black bear as she can. But she couldn't move her legs. Suddenly she couldn't breathe and the shadows seemed to freeze her from within. Katrina tried again to move, but her body didn't want to obey her. Then she heard Shadow Freddy chuckling sinisterly.

" _ **Heh, heh, heh… You really don't have a clue, do you?**_ " Shadow Freddy said. Katrina watched in horror as the shadowy bear stepped up to her. " _ **You can't escape me. Isn't it obvious? You're already dead, Katrina…**_ "

Before Katrina had a chance to defend herself, Shadow Freddy drew his clawed paw back and decided to kill her and make her a permanent resident of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza once and for all. Without warning, a blinding light suddenly broke out. A light so powerful that it broke through the biggest walls of darkness and seemed to have blown Shadow Freddy back from his deadly attack. Katrina had to shield her eyes as the invading light chased Shadow Freddy away and she felt a powerful presence with her. The next thing she knew, Katrina Marlowe woke up…

* * *

Katrina opened her eyes and the first thing she felt was her freezing cold body. And that wasn't all… Her vision was blurry at first, but she realized she was being held in the arms of the real Freddy Fazbear. Freddy was scowling over at Shadow Freddy who was grudgingly huddled in the darkest corner of the room. Then Katrina realized that it was Freddy who had come to her rescue. That pure bright light had come from him. It was a miracle. Somehow Freddy Fazbear had come back to her. Katrina was so relieved, she wanted to say something but her throat was so dry. She felt weak and couldn't stop trembling. And yet she was safe now that she was back in Freddy's arms.

From behind Freddy, Golden and Foxy couldn't stop staring in amazement. Just then, Bonnie, Chica and the Puppet also arrived on the scene and saw to their astonishment that Freddy Fazbear had already beaten them to the punch. Best of all, Freddy managed to get to Katrina before Shadow Freddy could seriously harm her. Now they all angrily looked over at the shadowy bear who was still cowering in the dark corner of the lounge. Shadow Freddy who was behind all of this…

" _ **Heh… I knew there was a reason why you're the leader of the restaurant,**_ " Shadow said to Freddy. " _ **As much as I hate to admit it, I'm actually impressed that you've managed to overcome my shadows clouding your program like that. You've even made it all the way here. I underestimated you, Freddy Fazbear.**_ "

Freddy stared icily back at Shadow Freddy with his blue eyes gleaming dangerously. "You're the one who let Mr. Atkins into the pizzeria. Were you hoping that I would kill him in front of Katrina?" Freddy questioned. "You wanted to break the bond between us. You wanted to take Katrina for yourself. In order to prevent me from stopping you, you filled my animatronic suit up with darkness, tricking it into thinking it was outside restaurant grounds."

"So that's why Freddy went inactive," Bonnie said, quickly catching on. "But then that means…"

"That's right," Freddy confirmed for the others. "I was aware of what was happening all along. I couldn't do a thing about it because Shadow here had me immobile from the inside. Worst of all, I was unable to comfort poor Katrina and let her know I was alright." Freddy cradled Katrina protectively in his arms. "If that weren't bad enough, you used me to get to Katrina. You made her think it was her fault. The second Katrina placed her heart-locket in my hand; that was all the motivation I needed to stop you."

Shadow Freddy sneered out at them from the dark corner. " _ **Not bad, Freddy. You figured me out sooner than I would have liked. Nonetheless, I'm still here and I'll never go away. As long as there is darkness, I'll always be lurking nearby."**_ Shadow grinned eagerly at the helplessly weak Katrina. " _ **I'll come back for her, Freddy. You can't protect her forever.**_ "

"Oh but I can. And it starts now…," Freddy calmly turned away with Katrina tucked in his arms. This whole time, he'd seen Foxy fidgeting around and who was dying to get at the shadowy bear. And Freddy wasn't about to disappoint. "Have fun, Foxy."

With an excited screech, Foxy lunged forward with no hesitation and swiped his hook in a wild attack. Shadow Freddy was already scrambling away to avoid the sharp hook by disappearing through the wall. Unfortunately Golden Freddy also gave chase and disappeared after him. "Ye better save some butt-whippin' fer me, lad!" Foxy shouted, running through the hallways while also pursuing Shadow Freddy himself.

This left only Bonnie, Chica and the Puppet. " _Well then… I guess my presence isn't necessary_ ," the Puppet remarked. And yet it smiled proudly at the animatronic bear. " _You've gotten stronger, Freddy. It's one less thing to worry about around here._ " With that, the Puppet turned to glide off but not before saying over its shoulder. _"And oh…could somebody kindly take my music box back to the Prize Corner where it belongs?_ "

Bonnie hurried off to help the Puppet. Once they were gone, Chica turned to Freddy and she looked troubled about something. "One less thing to worry about? Does that mean the Puppet has other things to worry about?"

"I can't think about that right now," Freddy said distractedly. All he wanted to do was take Katrina away from here. She was so cold and pale-looking. Shadow Freddy had been so close to killing her. Everything else can wait. He needed to bring her to a safe place. Before leaving, Freddy turned to look back at Chica. "One last thing… Let me know when Foxy and Golden catches Shadow," he instructed her.

After that, Freddy brought Katrina back to the employee lounge where he could stand guard over her. He even gave back the heart-locket she'd left with him. As he watched her sleep on the soft couch, he couldn't forget how she had loyally stood by his side back at the parts & service room. Freddy was absolutely elated to see her again and there was so much he wanted to say to her. He was so happy when she came back. His biggest fear was that he would never see her again. But Katrina had come through for him. And he would forever admire her courage for sacrificing herself to protect him from Shadow Freddy like that. He loved Katrina Marlowe more than ever…

Freddy's thoughts were interrupted at the sound of a door opening. He turned around in time to see the Puppet come into the room with him. " _Is Katrina okay_?" The Puppet asked, carefully lowering its voice so as not to wake Katrina. When Freddy nodded, the Puppet sighed. " _I really can't say that it surprises me that Shadow Freddy was behind everything. He was starting to become a big concern around here._ "

The Puppet sounded so grim that it got Freddy thinking. He remembered what Chica said to him earlier. "Puppet…is there something you're not telling me?" Freddy dared to ask. The first thing he noticed was the Puppet's nervous behavior.

" _N-No… There's nothing to worry about. I'm just glad we were able to rescue Katrina in time_." Freddy saw that the Puppet was avoiding his eyes. And also the Puppet seemed somewhat evasive. Freddy didn't like these answers and thought of interrogating the Puppet further, but a moan from Katrina quickly caught his attention. He would worry about the Puppet later.

Freddy reached down and gently brushed Katrina's long hair out of her face so that he could watch her sleep better. She was so cold that he wrapped her up in blankets in order to warm her up. He didn't want to leave her side, not until he knew that she was going to be okay. Poor Katrina had been through a terrible ordeal. Once she woke up, he would be there for her. They still had a lot of things to talk about... Freddy made mistakes and he was determined to correct them. And he would start with Katrina.

A half-hour later, the door opened and Chica poked her head in. "Hey Freddy. Foxy and Golden were able to corner Shadow Freddy. You told me to come find you when they did," Chica informed him.

Now Freddy stood straight up and with one last look at Katrina, turned and started heading for the door. "Stay here with Katrina. I'll be right back," Freddy told Chica. There was one last thing he needed to do.

" _Where are you going_?" The Puppet called after him.

"I'm going to make sure this never happens again," Freddy replied darkly. His robotic eyes glowed ominously and his expression became cold. He was glad that Katrina was still asleep. He wouldn't want her to see him like this…

Freddy Fazbear made his way through the empty restaurant and was able to meet up with Foxy and Golden in the boys' bathroom. Once there, he saw a badly injured Shadow Freddy hovering in the dark corner and glaring hatefully at them. Golden and Foxy stepped back out of respect and allowed for Freddy to come forth and confront Shadow Freddy. The black bear looked up warily as the mascot of the pizzeria approached him. Freddy was filled with so much fury that even Foxy and Golden nervously kept their distance. Freddy was here to get justice for Katrina…

Despite seeing Freddy's furious scowl, Shadow Freddy couldn't resist letting a mocking chuckle. " _ **Come to have a good laugh? You haven't won, Freddy. You will never be rid of me. I will always be here…**_ " Shadow's evil grin widens. " _ **Katrina won't be the last victim. I'll find other troubled kids to prey on…**_ "

With frightening calmness, Freddy actually smiled. "I'm aware of all that. However…" Freddy swiftly grabbed Shadow by the scruff of the neck and squeezed hard. "You're never going to harm another child ever again…because you'll be too terrified of me." Freddy promised.

In the distance, Chica and Puppet heard the unmistakable cries of pain coming from Shadow Freddy. They knew that Freddy Fazbear had had his revenge. They wouldn't have to worry anymore. Not only that, Katrina Marlowe slept peacefully on the couch. Unaware that Freddy was avenging what's been done to her. And yet…the Puppet was still concerned about another matter. Shadow Freddy wasn't the only menace lurking around here. It was a threat that the Puppet hoped would never resurface.

* * *

 **Let me just point out that in some of the chapters, I've been dropping hints that there is another serious threat lurking around the pizzeria. Any guesses to who that might be? (I'll bet some readers have already figured it out ages ago.) But I still wanted to remind the FNAF readers. Watch out, because the most badass animatronic is about to make his presence well-known. Definitely don't miss it!**


	28. The truth about Katrina

It was nearly morning and Katrina Marlowe still hasn't woken up yet. But Freddy Fazbear never once left her side and literally camped out in the employee lounge. Eventually the other animatronics came into the room and waited for Katrina to wake up too. Even the Puppet stuck around. Freddy kept moving his hand to caress Katrina's long soft hair while feeling extremely protective. He almost lost her for a second time… After everything that's happened, Freddy never once gave up on her. Katrina belonged to him…

A soft moan from Katrina caught their attention and everyone watched as Katrina at long last started waking up. Sitting up from the couch, she appeared disoriented and very fatigued from her ordeal. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Freddy Fazbear, knelt by her side and who was positively beaming with happiness. Looking further around the room, Katrina could see that they were all there for her. Suddenly her encounter with Shadow Freddy in a dark realm seemed nothing more than a nightmare.

"It's good to have you back with us again," Freddy said to her while bringing his head down to warmly nuzzle her head. "You've really had us all on the edge. We were so worried that Shadow Freddy might…" However Freddy was cut off when Katrina with a tiny sob reached out and threw her arms around him. Then he realized that she still looked very scared.

"Katrina, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" Chica asked who couldn't resist taking a step closer and eying Katrina worriedly.

But Katrina couldn't speak and instead only clung to the animatronic bear. Freddy understood what she was going through and patted her on the back comfortingly. "It's alright. You'll be okay," he reassured her.

"Thank god you're back…," Katrina said at last. "I was so scared, I'd thought I…" She rested her head on Freddy's stomach and was relieved to feel that he was warm and active again. She practically cried tears of joy. Now Katrina took Freddy's paw and held it close to her face so as to convince herself that he really was here. Without warning, she broke into tears.

"Katrina…," Freddy started to say gently. The poor girl has suffered so much that Freddy wanted to console her. "Don't cry. You're safe now. Shadow Freddy won't ever come after you again. I've made sure of that…" Freddy hoped to reassure her that the danger had finally passed.

"Don' worry lass. Shadow Freddy won' be showin' his shadowy hide round' ere' again," Foxy chimed in helpfully. "Ol' Freddy ere' gave Shadow a good overthrowin! Ye should've' seen it!"

"That's right! Shadow Freddy is gone now. He won't be able to come after you or any other kids," Bonnie said cheerfully to the distraught Katrina.

When Katrina felt calm again, she lifted up her head to look around at all these animal-animatronic characters who have all worked together to help her. It was strange but they've become her friends despite being possessed machines. And they were all here for her. She was grateful to each and every one of them and for the first time in a long time, she's come to trust them, most of all Freddy who risked everything to rescue her from Shadow Freddy. Freddy's managed to find the inner strength to overcome his own obstacles which inspired Katrina to want to do the same.

"Shadow Freddy tried to force me relive my traumatic past," Katrina admitted solemnly. Everyone listened raptly as she continued. "He wanted to feed on my fears and weaknesses. I almost told him the truth…of what happened that night."

They were all surprised because Katrina hardly ever talked about the horrible incident that had happened in her life. For the longest time, she'd been in denial of it. But now she was finally ready come to terms with it. Katrina decided that she needed to talk about what happened. If she continued to keep the darkness locked up inside her, Shadow Freddy would only keep using it against her. So Katrina looked up into Freddy's blue eyes and decided to come clean about everything.

"Freddy… I'm ready. I'll tell you the real reason why I'm alone," Katrina said somberly.

"Katrina, you don't have to…," Freddy started to say.

But Katrina raised a hand to stop him. "No, I want to tell the truth." She looked around at all the animatronics gathered around her and sighed. "I want you all to know the truth. This is what happened to me…"

* * *

( **Flashback** )

 _Two months ago… My parents and I were coming back from school after watching my friends perform in a play. We were driving home when it began to rain real hard. While my dad drove through the same regular route we took to get home, I remember my mom and I were busy talking. Then it happened without any warning. On the other side of the road, another car was swerving around dangerously. The next thing we knew, the car was heading straight for us. In a panic, my dad swerved off the road in a desperate attempt to avoid the crazy driver. But it proved to be fatal…_

 _We've reached a curve in the road and my dad lost control of the car. Everything happened so fast… I still remember like it was only yesterday. Our car got busted up and even rolled over. Trapping me and my parents inside the car. My father was badly injured and couldn't get out of the car, and my mom didn't want to leave him there. I was hurt too and I wanted to get out and find help, but I also didn't want to leave my parents behind. I was really torn between what I should do._

 _Then I saw my dad was starting to lose a lot of blood and mom was desperately trying to keep calm. It was at that moment that I made my decision and decided I couldn't just sit there and do nothing. So I crawled out through the window and told mom that I was going to go get help and that I would be right back. I must have taken five steps when…when it…happened… It was too late. The next thing I knew, I was being blown back by a sudden explosion. And I laid there on the street, bloodied and shocked. That was when I saw the car…or what was left of it._

 _By the time the police and ambulance arrived, there really wasn't anything they could do. They found me…standing there on the street…staring into the fiery remains of our car which must have caught on fire somehow and blew up. My parents were burned alive inside the vehicle. Nobody could have survived it. And yet… I just stood there…unable to respond to anyone. My parents weren't there anymore…they left me… I found myself regretting my decision to leave the car and wishing I had stayed inside. At least I could have gone with them… They called it survivor's guilt. But the accident left me in shock and I hadn't spoken a word since. It turns out that the other driver was drunk so he was charged and lost his license. Eventually I ended up in foster care. I've been left alone to suffer ever since…_

( **End of Flashback** )

* * *

Freddy and friends all stared in disbelief as Katrina sadly finished the rest of her story. "I lost my parents that night… I haven't coped with it well. I guess I fell into denial or I just repressed the memory." Katrina looked around at the animatronics gathered around her. "Well now you know…"

Bonnie looked horrified by the story while Chica gazed sympathetically at Katrina with tears in her eyes. Foxy's ears drooped gloomily and he had to reach over and pat poor Golden Freddy on the back when he sensed that the little ghost boy inside was crying emotionally. The Puppet bowed its head upon finally understanding, yet it was Freddy who reached down his hand to wipe away the tears from Katrina's eyes. At long last, she'd told her story and it no longer looked over her like a large shadow. Most of all, it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Nobody said anything. Until Freddy got down on one knee and took Katrina's hand. Now that he knew her story, he knew exactly what to do for her. "Thanks for telling us, Katrina. So you're an orphan. Wish you'd told me sooner because I know how to comfort children who have lost their parents."

When Katrina looked up, she was suddenly being lifted into Freddy's arms. With a wide grin on his face, Freddy broke into a joyous song in his mechanical booming voice. This was so unexpected that it made the others stare funnily at their leader. Ignoring the others, Freddy only concentrated on doing what he did best. Bringing happiness into the hearts of children… Starting with Katrina Marlowe who lost her family. Taking off his black top-hat and placing it on Katrina's head, Freddy went on cheerfully singing while carrying Katrina out of the Employee Lounge and into the Dining Area.

Katrina found all of this odd, until she realized what Freddy Fazbear was trying to do for her. Eventually the other animatronics quickly caught on and smilingly joined Freddy and began to sing and dance too. Chica sang with her chirping gentle voice along with Bonnie happily playing his red-guitar to provide the music, and Foxy dancing a jolly pirate-jig. Golden Freddy embraced the Puppet and was glad to have gotten his friend back. Everyone was celebrating their victory at thwarting Shadow Freddy's nefarious scheming. But nobody celebrated more than Freddy and Katrina who had come to forgive each other despite the odds against them. However, all the fun had to come to an end because the Puppet was speaking loudly over their singing and cheering.

" _Sorry to interrupt the celebrations, but its 6:00 AM and the employees will be here soon to open the restaurant. We need to hurry back to our places._ _"_

Now Bonnie and Chica headed for the Show Stage and Foxy returned to the Pirate Cove. Golden Freddy vanished from sight while the Puppet glided its way back to the Prize Corner. That left only Katrina and Freddy who was leading her to the girls' bathroom where he would help her out through the window. After everything that's happened last night, Freddy didn't want her to go. He wished she could stay just at little bit longer. But he had to let her go…at least for now.

Even Katrina was reluctant to leave, because she turned to look up at Freddy and made no move toward the open window. Again she reached out and embraced him, as if to reassure herself for the millionth time that he was still up and running. Freddy reached down to her and gently stroked her cheek while smiling. After everything Shadow Freddy put her through, Katrina managed to find the courage and the strength to survive. Freddy had newfound respect for her and knew she was a lot stronger than she looked. Which made it all the more difficult to say good-bye to her.

"I'll come back later. I promise," Katrina assured Freddy. Then she held up a hand to pat Freddy's fuzzy muzzle in an affectionate manner. "Will you be okay now? Shadow Freddy is really gone?"

Freddy nodded his head. "Yes. Let's just say I scared that shadow away for good." He stood awkwardly for a moment. And then there was something he wanted to know. "What made you come back?" Freddy asked her.

Katrina stared into those sky-blue eyes and said without hesitation. "Because you're the first friend I've made here at the pizzeria. The only one who's ever tried to help me. I've never forgotten what you did for me, Freddy. I know we got off at the wrong foot in the beginning, but in the end… we ended up helping each other. I think we needed each other."

And for the first time ever, Freddy Fazbear finally understood… He would never forget the day he first met Katrina Marlowe. He remembered how he couldn't explain, not even to himself, why he felt so drawn to her. But now he knew why… Freddy and Katrina were the same. They've both suffered horrible tragedies that left them both feeling guilty and heart-broken. And together they've helped each other to heal. It was finally starting to make sense. But for now, Freddy and Katrina would have to talk later. The owner of the restaurant would be arriving soon, and Katrina needed to head back for her house.

"See ya later. Sing good songs for the children today, Freddy!" Katrina smiled cheerfully.

Katrina stepped up to the window and waited for Freddy to give her a lift up. When a few seconds went by, she looked back and saw that Freddy hadn't moved. The animatronic bear was gazing down at her with heart-warming affection written in his expression. Freddy stepped up to her and leaned down so as to bring his face closer to hers.

"Before you go…I was wondering if you could do something for me," Freddy said. He averted his eyes and looked embarrassed. "Katrina…I was hoping…that maybe…" He kept hesitating and wanted to say it before he lost his nerve. "Can I have a kiss?"

Seeing her surprised look, Freddy quickly explained. "Think of it as a hero's kiss. After all, isn't it the highest honor to kiss the mascot of this pizzeria?" He hoped he didn't sound corny to her. But he's wanted to do this for a long while. Freddy pointed to his face. "Kiss me on the cheek?" he wheedled.

Katrina thought it was a funny request but didn't see the harm in it. With a smile, she closed her eyes and stood up on tip-toe to press a soft kiss on the brown bear's fuzzy face. Katrina felt warm heat on her lips, and when she opened her eyes, she realized that Freddy had slyly moved his head to the side and she was kissing his muzzled mouth instead. Katrina drew back blushing furiously as Freddy Fazbear was smirking mischievously down at her with his robotic eyes practically twinkling.

"Sorry…I just wanted to know how it feels. It's the only chance I'll ever have," Freddy told her sheepishly. And yet, the ghost boy inside couldn't shake off the euphoria of having finally kissed a girl for the first time ever.

"It…It's okay. I never thought you would try to steal a kiss. Sounds like the sort of thing Foxy would do," Katrina giggled a little. She reached up to touch her lips and never thought she'd end up kissing a bear.

Freddy gently lifted her up and then watched as Katrina crawled through the window and safely made her way out of the restaurant. There he watched her disappear into the neighborhood, making Freddy sigh to himself sadly. It was back to behaving like a mechanical machine all day. He was far too used to it, but still… He only got to act like a real boy around Katrina Marlowe. Freddy Fazbear turned and headed back to the Show Stage where he belonged.


	29. Saying Good-bye

**Okay, I've been giving this a lot of thought and I've decided to end this story once and for all. To be completely honest, I've hit writer's block with this one. So I've decided to give this story the conclusion it deserves. Sorry it took so long! However I decided to give this a rather ambiguous ending to freak out some readers. FNAF stories can be tough to write but I'm glad I was able to write this one. Thank you all for reading! You've all been so great!**

* * *

When Katrina got back to the house, the first thing she did was head back to her bedroom. She was so exhausted from last night's events that it left her feeling drained. She was more than happy to slump onto her bed and sleep the hours away. She would deal with Mrs. Cosgrove and the other girls later. For now, Katrina needed rest, especially after what Shadow Freddy put her through. Before drifting off to sleep, she thought about Freddy and how glad she was to know that he was okay. She wouldn't have to worry about the animatronics at the pizzeria. She didn't know how long she slept, but the next thing Katrina knew there was knocking at her door. Now Katrina pulled herself out of bed and went to the bedroom door to see who it was. To her surprise, it was Mrs. Cosgrove and she was smiling.

"Sorry to wake you, Katrina. But you have a visitor. There's someone here who wants to see you," the kindly foster mother told her.

Now Katrina really was curious. This was unexpected. Who could possibly want to visit her here? She quickly changed her clothes and put on a white t-shirt with navy-blue shorts and hurried downstairs. The first person she saw was Mrs. Cosgrove who motioned for her to head to the living-room. That was probably where her visitor was. To her surprise, it was a man who stood with his back to her. But when he turned around to face her, Katrina had to stifle a gasp. She couldn't believe her eyes. From that moment on, Katrina Marlowe's life changed forever…

Over at the family-friendly pizzeria, turns out the employees had nothing to worry about regarding their beloved mascot. Freddy Fazbear was back to his former self and was working perfectly fine again. The animatronic bear was entertaining children with more enthusiasm than ever. Of course no one could explain how the brown bear broken down in the first place. Just one of the many mysteries of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. But thanks to Freddy, the restaurant was alive with families again and business was booming like always.

"Everyone get in line! When it comes to handing out free bear hugs, nobody can beat Freddy!" Freddy's booming voice welcomed the children who came to hug him, triggering his Toreador's March music box.

As a treat, Freddy stood at the center of the stage and allowed any kid to approach him, to hug him, talk to him, or some kids thought it funny to tap him and run off. Freddy didn't mind the shenanigans, he was far too happy. He gladly invited all the kids to come interact with him and would talk, laugh and sing to them all. In the distance, Freddy could see a little boy trying to cleverly lure Chica over to his table so that he could have the animatronic chick to himself. Bonnie was always up to his robotic knees with kids of all ages surrounding the purple-bunny and he was sometimes seen around the Dining Area, Show Stage, and the Arcades. As for Foxy…well…kids often snuck into Pirate Cove to find free toys littered around the place.

" _Hey look Freddy! Katrina has finally arrived, just like she promised!"_ Bonnie's head turned to spot the familiar beautiful girl entering the crowded restaurant and he immediately signaled to the brown bear.

Freddy's blue eyes zeroed in on Katrina Marlowe, and his heart leaped in pure happiness at the sight of her. He'd been having a great day today and it got better now that she was here. But Freddy sensed right away that something wasn't right. Katrina wasn't smiling. In fact, she looked very troubled and she was looking right at him with a sad expression. Freddy's protectiveness kicked in and he wondered if something bad had happened. He wanted to go to her but unfortunately he wasn't in free-roaming mode like Bonnie and Chica. The employees wanted him to stay put just to make sure he wouldn't have another mechanical breakdown. All Freddy could do was follow Katrina with his eyes.

Katrina had been rehearsing what she was going to say to Freddy Fazbear when she saw him again. Now that she was here and staring directly over at Freddy Fazbear who stood center-stage, she was at a total loss for words. She thought about what happened earlier and about how her situation has changed. No… She had to talk to Freddy. He deserved to know what was to become of her. With a deep sigh, Katrina began to make her way over to where Freddy stood.

Katrina awkwardly approached Freddy and wondered how was she going to talk to him in front of all these people? Maybe it wouldn't be too weird because lots of kids talked to the animal characters here like they were real people. Perhaps she should try to make it look as normal as possible. She stepped up to the big bear and wondered where to start. Katrina had so much she needed to say to him. Not caring if anybody noticed her, Katrina spoke softly to the mascot before her.

"Hello Freddy…," she smiled up at him.

"Hello missy!" As part of his charm, Freddy tipped his top-hat gentlemanly to her, as he did whatever he greeted any little girls.

Katrina hesitated a moment, then continued to speak to him. "Freddy…I have something to tell you." She looked up to see if Freddy was paying attention to her. Freddy's blue eyes stared into her brown ones. "This won't be easy. I thought of never telling you but…but I want you to know."

Freddy's eyes never left hers, so she knew that he was listening to her every word. "Freddy…I…I can't come here anymore." She studied Freddy's expression to see if he was upset, but the bear looked just as cheerful as ever. "Earlier today, a man came to the house to see me. It turns out that he's my uncle. My father's brother…"

She lowered her head because it was hard to look Freddy in the face. She was still trying to keep her emotions in check. Ignoring everyone around her, Katrina continued speaking in a hushed voice. "My uncle wants to do the right thing and take me in. But it means I'll have to move to another state. I'm afraid that you and I… won't see each other…ever again."

Freddy gazed down at her with his warm twinkling eyes and didn't seem to react. She wished he would say something to her. When Katrina looked up, there were tears in her eyes. "I…I'm sorry. I thought I wouldn't cry but I…I…," Katrina closed her eyes and allowed the tears to drip down her pink cheeks. "I…I don't know what else to say…"

Finally Katrina felt like such a fool standing here and pouring out her heart to an animatronic. Worst of all, she wondered if Freddy was heart-broken to know that she was going away. They've become so close and now she was leaving for good. It all became too upsetting for her and she was about to cry. Just as Katrina turned away and thought of fleeing to the girls' bathroom, a big hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her arm to stop her. And then a kindly soothing voice spoke gently to Katrina.

" _It's okay, Katrina. I understand, truly I do. You don't have to worry about me. I've been preparing for the day you and I would have to say good-bye to each other. I'm glad you told me, and I'm happy you're getting a new life. You deserve it. So be happy, Katrina._ "

Wiping at the tears in her eyes, Katrina felt better. It was good to know that Freddy Fazbear wasn't hurt. How could she forget that he was a strong person? Thanks to him, she became strong in her own right. Most of all, it was the voice of Bernard Walcott who comforted her, the ghost boy living inside the mascot of the pizzeria. Smiling up at Freddy Fazbear, Katrina embraced the animatronic bear and promised herself that she would be a good sport about it too. She would share one last day with Freddy. Katrina decided to give herself a special treat by telling a little fib to a employee that it was her birthday. Sitting at one of the dining-room tables, Katrina beamed with happiness as Freddy Fazbear had the honor of singing to her as a smiling woman brought her a chocolate-strawberry cake. She would never forget Freddy Fazbear, but most of all...she would never forget Bernard. She didn't know how long his soul would go on living inside the animatronic bear but she hoped someday he too could move on.

Katrina watched as Bonnie and Chica interacted with each other onstage where their cute antics never failed to entertain children. It turns out that Bonnie ended up getting what he wanted all along. He wanted Chica to love and admire him and now the two of them could share a strong bond that would last for a lifetime. Katrina entered the empty pirate-cove and thought it was sad that Foxy was forgotten by the staff here. But then she realized that Foxy would never be forgotten by his friends and that was all that matters. And she had a feeling that Foxy was okay with this.

Golden Freddy was probably still in storage and it was ashame that he wasn't active anymore. But it wasn't all bad. Despite dying at such a young age, Golden Freddy would never be alone and would always have someone looking out for him. Because Golden Freddy was at heart, a innocent shy child who didn't always reveal himself to everyone. And lastly was the Puppet, perhaps the real leader of them all? When Katrina entered the Prize Corner, the Puppet popped out of its music-box one last time to surprise her with a gift-box. But Katrina saw the intelligent glint in the Puppet's pinprick eyes which could only mean, its mission wasn't over yet.

Finally it was time. Katrina bidded good-bye to all her animatronic friends and it was time for her to go. She had to get move on with her life. Leaving the restaurant, Katrina walked through the parking-lot and stopped to look back at the kid-friendly pizzeria one last time. She didn't know how long she stood there staring, but the sounds of a car driving by snapped her out of it. Now Katrina looked over and noticed a purple station-wagon parking in front of the pizzeria. When the driver-door opened, Katrina's eyes widened in shock. A strange man exited the car... There was nothing odd about him except...he wore a purple uniform.

"Wait a minute...isn't he...?" Katrina mumbled in a shaky voice.

Luckily the man didn't notice her. He wore a big friendly grin which was also disturbing somehow. Katrina watched as the Purple Guy entered Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. For that one split second, Katrina was tempted to go after him... But then she remembered Freddy's warnings and making her promise to stay away from the killer. Maybe it wouldn't be wise. Katrina Marlowe turned and hurried away...

 **The End**


End file.
